Skip to main content

Full text of "The parks, promenades, & gardens of Paris, described and considered in relation to the wants of our own cities, and the public and private gardens"

See other formats 


Google 


This  is  a  digital  copy  of  a  book  that  was  preserved  for  generations  on  library  shelves  before  it  was  carefully  scanned  by  Google  as  part  of  a  project 

to  make  the  world's  books  discoverable  online. 

It  has  survived  long  enough  for  the  copyright  to  expire  and  the  book  to  enter  the  public  domain.  A  public  domain  book  is  one  that  was  never  subject 

to  copyright  or  whose  legal  copyright  term  has  expired.  Whether  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  may  vary  country  to  country.  Public  domain  books 

are  our  gateways  to  the  past,  representing  a  wealth  of  history,  culture  and  knowledge  that's  often  difficult  to  discover. 

Marks,  notations  and  other  maiginalia  present  in  the  original  volume  will  appear  in  this  file  -  a  reminder  of  this  book's  long  journey  from  the 

publisher  to  a  library  and  finally  to  you. 

Usage  guidelines 

Google  is  proud  to  partner  with  libraries  to  digitize  public  domain  materials  and  make  them  widely  accessible.  Public  domain  books  belong  to  the 
public  and  we  are  merely  their  custodians.  Nevertheless,  this  work  is  expensive,  so  in  order  to  keep  providing  tliis  resource,  we  liave  taken  steps  to 
prevent  abuse  by  commercial  parties,  including  placing  technical  restrictions  on  automated  querying. 
We  also  ask  that  you: 

+  Make  non-commercial  use  of  the  files  We  designed  Google  Book  Search  for  use  by  individuals,  and  we  request  that  you  use  these  files  for 
personal,  non-commercial  purposes. 

+  Refrain  fivm  automated  querying  Do  not  send  automated  queries  of  any  sort  to  Google's  system:  If  you  are  conducting  research  on  machine 
translation,  optical  character  recognition  or  other  areas  where  access  to  a  large  amount  of  text  is  helpful,  please  contact  us.  We  encourage  the 
use  of  public  domain  materials  for  these  purposes  and  may  be  able  to  help. 

+  Maintain  attributionTht  GoogXt  "watermark"  you  see  on  each  file  is  essential  for  in  forming  people  about  this  project  and  helping  them  find 
additional  materials  through  Google  Book  Search.  Please  do  not  remove  it. 

+  Keep  it  legal  Whatever  your  use,  remember  that  you  are  responsible  for  ensuring  that  what  you  are  doing  is  legal.  Do  not  assume  that  just 
because  we  believe  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  the  United  States,  that  the  work  is  also  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  other 
countries.  Whether  a  book  is  still  in  copyright  varies  from  country  to  country,  and  we  can't  offer  guidance  on  whether  any  specific  use  of 
any  specific  book  is  allowed.  Please  do  not  assume  that  a  book's  appearance  in  Google  Book  Search  means  it  can  be  used  in  any  manner 
anywhere  in  the  world.  Copyright  infringement  liabili^  can  be  quite  severe. 

About  Google  Book  Search 

Google's  mission  is  to  organize  the  world's  information  and  to  make  it  universally  accessible  and  useful.   Google  Book  Search  helps  readers 
discover  the  world's  books  while  helping  authors  and  publishers  reach  new  audiences.  You  can  search  through  the  full  text  of  this  book  on  the  web 

at|http: //books  .google  .com/I 


r 


:y,' 


PARKS,  PROMENADES  &  GARDENS 


PARIS 

DESCRIBED  AND  CONSIDERED  IN    RELATION   TO   THE 
WANTS  OF  OUR  OWN  CITIES 


PPBHC    AND    PRIVATE    GARDENS. 


By  W.  ROBINSON,  F.L.S. 


/# 


\' 


WITH  nPWABUe  op  FOtlB  HDSDBEJ)  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

LONDON : 
JOHN   MUBRAT,   ALBEMARLE   STREET. 


1869.      •  . 

ICjI.      O.    ^2- 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

P1.0B 
THE   CHAMPS  ELTSEE8  AKD  THE  GARDENS  07  THE  LOUVaE  AND   THE 

TUILEKIES 1 

CHAPTER  n. 

THE  B0I8  DE  BOULOGNE  AND  THE  BOIS  DE  VINCENNE8 18 

GABDEN  OF  ACCLIMATIZATION  IN  THE  BOIS  DE  BOULOGNE    ....      32 
WATERING  THE  FABKS 37 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FABC  MONCEAU 48 

CHAPTER  rV. 

THE  FABC  DE8  BUTTES  CHAUMONT 59 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  JABDIN   DBS  FLANTES  AND  THE  GARDENS    OF   THE   LUliLEMBOURG      68 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  SQUARES,   FLACES,   CHURCH   GARDENS,   ETC. 82 

THE  SQUARE  DES  BATIGNOLLES 91 

THB  SQUARE  DE  MONTROUGE        ....      * 95 

THE  SQUARE  DU  TEMPLE 96 

THE  SQUARE  DES  ARTS  ET  METIERS 98 

THE  PLACE  ROYALE 99 

THE  SQUARE  DES  INNOCENTS 100 

THE  SQUARE  DE  LA  CHAPELLE  EXPIATOIRE  DE   LOUIS  XVI 100 

THE  SQUARE  DE    BELLEVILLE 100 

THE  SQUARE  MONTHOLON 101 

THE  SQUARE  LOUVOIS 101 

THE  SQUARE  VINTIMILLE 103 

CHURCH  GARDENS  AND   CEMETERIES 104i 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE  BOULEVARDS 112 

BATHING 136 

b 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

P1.0X 
THE  JABDIK  FLEUKISTE  AND  OTHER  PUBLIC  NURSERIES  OF  THE   CITY 

OF  PARIS 139 

THE  PUBLIC  NURSERIES  FOR  TREES,  SHRUBS,  AND   HARDT  FLOWERS  .155 

CHAPTER  IX. 

TREES  FOR  CITY  PARKS,   AVENUES,   GARDENS,  STREETS,   ETC.       .      .      .159 
A  SELECTION  OF  THE  BEST  TREES  AND  SHRUBS   FOR   CITIES       .      .      .    1G5 

CHAPTER  X. 

SL'BTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN 1S3 

A   SELECT    LIST    OF  100   OF    THE    SUBTROPICAL   PLANTS   BEST    SUITED 

FOR  USE  IN   OUR  CLIMATE 20S 

LIST  OF  THE  BEST  TWENTT-FOUR  SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS 20S 

SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  THAT  KAY  BE  RAISED  FROM  SEED 209 

CHAPTER  XL 

HARDT  PLANTS  FOR  THE  SUBTROPICAL  GARDEN 210 

LIST    OF   HARDY    HERBACEOUS    AND    ANNUAL    PLANTS,  ETC.,    OF    FINE 
HABIT,   WORTHY  OF    EMPLOYMENT    IN    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN    OR 

PLEASURE  GROUND 237 

LIST  OF  HARDY  PLANTS  OF  FINE   HABIT,  THAT  MAY   BE  RAISED   FR03I 

SEED 23S 

CHAPTER  XII. 

VXBAAILLES 239 

FONTAINEBLEAU,   AND  THE  GLADIOLUS  GROUNDS  OF  M.   SUUCHET   .      .251 

THE  GARDENS  OF  ST.   CLOUD 259 

MEUDON 260 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OF  APARTMENTS 262 

REFORM  IN  THE  CONSERVATORY 2S0 

PALMS 296 

THE  IVT  AND  ITS  USES  IN  PARISIAN   GARDENS 305 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

FRUIT  CULTUJBLE:    HOW  ARE  WE  TO  IMPROVE? 312 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   CORDON  SYSTEM  OF  FRUIT  GROWING 334 

THE  PARADISE,  DOUCIN,  AND  CRAB  STOCKS 355 

THE  PEAR  AS  A  CORDON 359 

THE  PEACH  AS  A  CORDON 366 

THE  SHORT  PINCHING  SYSTEM  APPLIED  TO  THE  PEACH 369 


CONTENTS.  VU 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
TBAnriKG 373 

THE  PAUCETTB  YEBKIEB 373 

PTBAXTDAL  TRAINING  OP  THE   PKAR  TSE£ 378 

CHAPTER  XVn. 

PIG  CULTURE  IN  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD  OP  PARIS 395 

PBESERTIKG  GRAPES  THROUGH  THE  WINTER  WITHOUT  LETTING  THEM 

HANG  ON  THE  TINES 405 

CULTURE  OP  THE  VINE  AT   THO^ERT 418 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  IVPERIAL  PRX7IT  AND  PORCING  GARDENS  AT   VERSAILLES  .      .      .  424 
THE  NEW  PRUIT   GARDEN   OP   THE    CITT    OP    PARIS   IN   THE    BOIS  DE 

TINCENNES 433 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OP  MONTREUIL .  440 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  MARKET   GARDENS  OP  PARIS 462 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

MUSHROOM  CULTURE 472 

„  „  IN   CELLARS   AND  IN  THE   OPEN  AIR      ....   484 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  CULTURE  OP  SALADS 489 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ASPARAGUS   CULTURE 501 

PREPARATION   OP  THE  GROUND 506 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OBSERVATIONS  ON  SOME  OP  THE  VEGETABLES  OF  THE  PARIS  MAKKET     .   515 

CULTURE  OP  THE   SMALL  CARROT 520 

THE   CARDOON 522 

PORCING  THE  CAULIPLOWER 524 

THE  SWEET  POTATO 525 

EARLY  POTATOES 527 

OLEANDER  CULTURE 528 

CULTURE  OP  THE  ORANGE 531 

SHOWING  ROSES  IN  PRANCE 535 

PORCING  THE  WHITE  LILAC 537 

b2 


Vlll  CONTENTS* 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

PAOB 

7L0WZB,  FBUIT,  AND  VEGETABLE  MARKETS 539 

LIST    OF    FLACES    IN    WUICU    THE   KORE    INSTBUCTIVE  FEATURES    OF 

FRACTICAL  HORTICULTURE  HAY   BE  SEEN 545 

THE  CLIMATES  OF  PARIS  AND  LONDON  COMPARED 548 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

HORTICULTURAL  MACHINES,  IMPLEMENTS,  APPUANCES,  ETC.      .      .      .551 

TRANSPLANTING  LARGE  TREES 551 

CARRIAGE  FOR  TRANSPORTING  ORANGE  TREES 561 

TRUCK  FOR  TUBS  OR  VERY  LARGE  POTS 562 

TUBS  FOR  ORAKGE  TREES,   ETC 563 

GARDEN  CHAIRS  AND  SEATS 563 

GRAFTING  MASTIC 565 

IMPROVED  FRUIT  SHELVES 566 

DRYING  FRUIT  ROOMS 566 

THE  FANIER 567 

FLOUGH-HOE 568 

THE  BINETTE 568 

FRAMES  FOR  FORCING 568 

MATS  FOR  COVERING   PITS  AND  FRAMES      . 569 

THE  NUMEROTEUR 572 

THE  SECATEUR 574 

THE  RAIDISSEUR 576 

MATERIAL  FOR  TYING  PLANTS 579 

PROTECTION  FOR  WALL  AND  ESPALIER  TREES 582 

SHADING  FOR  CONSERVATORIES 586 

ATTACHING  WIRE  TO  GARDEN-WALLS,   TRELLISING,   ETC 587 

EDGINGS  FOR  PARKS,  PUBLIC  GABDENS,  SQUARES,  DRIVES,  ETC.     .      .   593 
THE  CLOCHE 596 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NOTES  OF  A  HORTICULTURAL  TOUR  THROUGH  PARTS  OF  FRANCE  .   .   .  600 
LYONS 600 

l'ecole  regionale  de  la  saulsaie 604 

DUON 609 

ANGERS 610 

MANTES 613 

ROUEN 614 

TROYES 619 

BOURG-LA-REINE 623 

8CBAUX 628 

CHATILLON,  FONTENAY  AUX  ROSES 628 

SUI8NE8 628 

BRUNOY 633 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


na.  riox 

1.  EvENiiiG   oovcEBT    in  the 

Champs  Elys^es     ...       6 

2.  Circus  in  the  gardens  of  the 

Champs  Elys^     ...       7 

3.  Ayenaes  radiating  from  the 

Place  de  r:^toile     ...       8 

4.  L'Arc  de  Triomphe  du  Car- 

rousel   9 

5.  Plan  of  small  gardens  in  the 

Place  Napoleon  III.    .     .     10 

6.  Statue   of   Winter  in    the 

Tuileries  gardens    .     .     .     12 

7.  The  Bhone  and  the  Saone  in 

the  Tuileries  gardens  .     .     14 

8.  Group  in  the  Tuileries  gar- 

dens     15 

9.  One  of  the  small  lakes  in 

the  Bois  de  Boulogne  .     .     19 

10.  Grand  Cascade  in  the  Bois 

de  Boulogne      ....     20 

11.  Winter  scene  on  the  lake  in 

the  Bois  de  Boulogne  .     .     21 

12.  Cisterns  for  receiving  heavy 

rains  from  the  drives  of  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne    ...     30 

13.  Ostriches  in  the  Jardind'Ac- 

climatHlion 32 

14.  Streamlet  in  the  Jardind' Ac- 

climatation 33 

15.  Conservatory  in  the  Jardin 

d^Acclimatation      ...     84 

16.  Restaurant  in  the  Bois  de 

Vincennes 35 

17-  Section  of  perforated  self- 
acting  hose  on  virheels  .     .     39 

18.  Hose  on  wheeb  with  double 

rovir  of  perforations ...     39 

19.  Hose  on  wheels  for  watering 

roads,  etc 41 

20.  Details    of    the    preceding 

figwe 42 

21.  Hose, allowed  to  play  on  the 

grass,  eta 46 

22.  Plants  isolated  on  the  grass    62 


no.  TAiam 

23.  Plants  isoUted  on  the  grass    58 

24.  „  „  „  54 

25.  Plan  of  garden     ....     64 

26.  Conservatories     and     Mu- 

seums in  the  Jardin  des 
Pkntes 68 

27.  Aquatic  birds  in  the  Jardin 

des  Plantes 69 

28.  Animals  in  the  Jardin  des 

Plantes 69 

29.  Cedar  planted  by  Jussieu  in 

the  Jardin  des  Plantes     .     70 

30.  Plan    of    the    Jardin    des 

Pkntes 71 

31.  The  Amphitheatre   in   the 

Jardin  des  Plantes ...     76 

32.  Plan   of   the    Luxembourg 

garden  as  recently  altered     78 

33.  Portion  of   the   plan   of  a 

Parisian  square  ....     82 

34.  Portion   of    the  plan  of  a 

Paiisian  square  ....     91 

35.  llie  Square  des  Batignolles     98 

36.  The  Square  du  Temple  .     .     97 

37.  Children    at    play    in    the 

Square  des  Arts  et  M6tiers     98 

38.  The  Place  Royale      ...     99 

39.  Square  and  Fountain  Lou- 

vois 101 

40.  View  in  the  garden  of  the 

Palais  des  Thermes      .      .  102 

41.  The  Square  and  Church  of 

St.  Clothilie 105 

42.  The  Cemetery  Montmartre .  109 

43.  The  Catacombs     ....  110 

44.  Paris  seven  hundred  years 

ago 118 

45.  View  on   the  old  exterior 

Boulevards 119 

46.  Avenue  Victoria,  near  the 

H6teldeVille    ....  121 

47.  End  view  of  the  Boulevard 

Richard  Lenoir       .     .     .122 

48.  Place  duTrdne    ....   128 


LIST   OF   ILLT7STRAT10NS. 


49.  Ayenue  de  BreteuU:    the 

artevian  well  of  Grenelle, 
and  the  Invalides  .     .     .125 

50.  iDterior  of  a  floating  bath 

on  the  Seine 136 

51.  GUss-covered   corridor  be- 

tween the  plant-houBes  in 
the  Jardin  Fleariste    .     .143 

52.  Plan  of  glass-houses  in  the 

Jardin  Fleuriste      .     .     .144 
58.  Propagating  house   in  the 

Jardin  Fleuriste     .     .     .145 

54.  Propagating  pot  used  in  the 

Jardin  Fleuriste      .     .     .146 

55.  Small    cutting-pots    under 

bell-glass    in    the   Jardin 
Fleuriste .146 

56.  Shelves  for  storing  bedding 

plants     in     the     Jardin 
Fleuriste 147 

57.  End  view  of  bedding-plant 

houses  in  the  Jardin  Fleu- 
riste      149 

58.  Plan  of  the  bedding'plant 

houses  in  the  Jardin  Fleu- 
riste      150 

59.  Caves    under    the    Jardin 

Fleuriste 152 

60«  Sophora  japonica  var.  pen- 

duU 163 

61.  Variegated  Agave    .     •     .  186 . 

62.  Aralia  papyrifera      .     .     .187 

68.  Aspltniuro  nidus-avis    .     .189 

64.  Caladium  esculentum     .     .190 

65.  Colocasia  odorata      .     .     .191 

66.  Can na  nigricans   .     •     .     .192 

67.  Can naatro- nigricans      .     .  193 
^,  Ficus  elastica 196 

69.  Monstera  deliciosa    .     .     .197 

70.  Nicotiana  wigandioides .     .  199 

71.  Polymnia  grandis      .     .     .  200 

72.  Solanum  Warscewiczii  .     .  203 
78.  Solanum  robustum    .     .     .  204 

74.  Uhdea  bipinnatifida  .     .     .  205 

75.  Wigandia  macrophylla  .     .  207 

76.  Acanthus  latifolius   .     .     .211 

77.  Aralia  Sieboldi     ....  213 

78.  Bambusa  aurea     ....  216 

79.  Centaurea  babylonica    .     .218 

80.  Chaniserops  excelsa  .     .     .219 

81.  Ferula  communis.    .     .     .  222 

82.  Gynerium  argenteum     .     .  224 
88.  Heracleum  flavescens    •    .  226 

84.  Melianthus  major      .     .     .  227 

85.  Nicotiana  itaacrophylla  .     .  228 

86.  Rheum  Eroodi     ....  230 

87.  Anemone  japonica  alba .     .  238 

88.  Yucca  pendula     ....  235 

89.  Tucca  filamentoBavariegata  236 


VXO.  'AGS 

90.  SUtice  Uitifolia    ....  236 

91.  The  Tapis  Vert.  Verswlles .  246 

92.  One  of  the  statues  on  the 

upper  terrace     ....  248 

93.  Temple  de  1' Amour  in  the 

gardens  of  the  Petit  Tria- 
non       249 

94.  View  in  the  garden  of  the 

Petit  Trianon     .     .     .     .250 

95.  Canal   in    the    gardens   of 

Fontainebleau    .     .     .     .251 

96.  View  in  the  Forest  of  Fon- 

tainebleau 252 

97.  The  Courteli^re    ....  254 

98.  TheVerblanc      ....  265 

99.  A   French    ideal    of   tree- 

beauty      259 

100.  Meudon 260 

101.  Maranta  fasclata  .     .     .     .268 

102.  Dracsena  terminalis  .     .     .  264 

103.  Gymnostacbyum  Verschaf- 

felti 265 

104.  DiefFenbachia'  seguina  macu- 

late       266 

105.  Alocasia  metallica     .     .     .  267 

106.  uEchmea  fulgens  ....  268 

107.  Caladium  argyrites   .     .     .  269 

108.  Cahulium  mirabile    .     .     .270 

109.  Pteris  cretica  nlbo-iineata  .  271 

110.  Begonia  dsedalia  ....  272 

111.  Maranta  rosea-picta  .     .     .  273 

112.  Dieffeubachia  Bai-aquiniana  274 

113.  Gesnem  cinnabarina .     .     .  275 

114.  Saxifm-aFortuneivaricgata  276 

115.  Maraiita  vittata    ....  277 

116.  TiUandeiasplendens  .     .     .278 

117.  Maranta  zebrina  ....  279 

118.  Pandanus  javanicus  varie- 

gatus 279 

119.  Cordyline  indivisa     .     .     .  281 

120.  Tree  Fern  for  conservatory  282 

121.  Polypodium  morbiliosum    .  283 

122.  Blechnum  brasiliense     .     .  284 

123.  Theophrasta  macrophylla    .  285 

124.  Cycas  circinalis    ....  287 

125.  AisophiU 289 

126.  Goniophlebium     ....  290 

127.  Testudinaria  elephantipes  .  291 

128.  Maranta  micans  ....  292 

129.  Caladium    ......  293 

130.  Ananassa  sativa  variegata  .  295 

131.  Chamsedorea  latifolia .     .     .  297 

132.  Seaforthia  elegans     .     .     .  299 

133.  Carvotasobolifera     .     .    .  302 

134.  Railings  covered  with  Ivy  .  306 

185.  Ivy  edgings  in  geometrical 

^uxien 307 

186.  Section  of  circular  bower  of 

Irish  Ivy 308 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XI 


187. 

138. 

139 

140. 

141. 
142. 

143. 

144. 

145. 
146. 

147. 
148. 

149. 
150. 
151. 

152. 
153. 

154. 

155. 

156. 

157. 

158. 

159. 

160. 

161. 

162. 

163. 

164. 

165. 
166. 


Yariegated  Itj  in  sospen- 
aion  basket 809 

Ivy  screen  for  the  drawing- 
room     810 

Young  line  of  self-support- 
ing Pear  Trees.  ....  833 

The  Apple  trained  as  a 
Simple  Horizontal  Cordon  884 

Tree  with  horizontal  branches  335 

The  Simple  Horizontal  Cor- 
don   336 

The  Cordon  on  wall  of  plant- 
house     337 

Youne  Cordon  of  the  Lady 
Apple 338 

The  Bilateral  Cordon      .    .  339 

Beinette  dn  Canada  trained 
as  a  Cordon 340 

Edging  of  simple  Cordons  .  341 

Grafliog  by  approach  to 
unite  Uie  points  of  horizon- 
tal Cordons     342 

Another  mode  of  grafting  to 
unite  the  Cordons    .    .    .343 

The  horizontal  Cordon  train- 
ed as  an  edging  ....  344 

Border  in  front  of  fruit  wall 
with  two  lines  of  horizontal 
Cordons 353 

Peach  wall  and  border  with 
five  lines  of  Cordons     .     .  353 

Doable  espalier  of  Pears 
with  three  lines  of  Cordon 
Apples  on  each  side     .     .  353 

Simple  wooden  support  for 
Cordon 354 

Iron  support  for  Cordon 
with  ratchet  wheel  at  top  .  354 

Iron  support  for  Cordon 
let  into  stone 354 

Pear  Tree  trained  as  a  ver- 
tical Cordon 359 

The  Pear  as  a  simple  oblique 
Cordon,  1st  year      .     .     .  360 

Oblique  Cordon  Pear,  2nd 
year 360 

Oblique  Cordon  Pear,  3rd 
year 361 

Oblique  Cordon  Pear,  4th 
year 362 

The  Pear  as  an  oblique 
Cordon 363 

Pear  tree  trained  in  U 
form 364 

The  spiral  Cordon  against 
walls 365 

The  spiral  Cordon      .     .     .366 

Peach  tree  trained  as  an  ob- 
lique Cordon,  1st  year  .     .  -367 


VIA.  PiAB 

167.  Peach  tree  trained  as  an  ob- 

lique Cordon,  2nd  year     .  867 

168.  Peach     tree     with     three 

branches,   a  different  va- 
riety grafted  on  each   .     .  869 

169.  Peach  shoot  of  the  current 

year  bearing  a  number  of 
secondary  shoots     .     .     .  870 

170.  Portion  of  shoot   of  Peach 

tree .871 

171.  Besult  of  pinching  the  sti- 

pulary  leaves 872 

172.  The  Palmetto  Yerrier,  2nd 

pruning 875 

173.  The  Palmette  Yerrier,  3rd 

pruning 875 

174.  The  Pahnette  Yerrier,  4th 

pruning 875 

175.  The  Palmette  Yerrier,  5th 

pruning 876 

176.  Palmette      Yerrier      with 

weakly  outer  branch  com- 
pleted by  grafting   .     .     .  877 

177.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree  .     .     .379 

178.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree,  first 

pruning 380 

179.  Top  of  young  Pear  tree  .     .  880 

180.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree,  second 

pruning 881 

181.  Leading  shoot  of  Pear  tree  .  881 

182.  Old   leading   shoot   barked 

and  used  as  a  stake  .     .     .  382 

183.  Pruning  to  obtain  properly 

placed  leading  shout     .     .  382 

184.  Incisions  made  to  regulate 

shoots 882 

185.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree,  third 

pruning 383 

186.  Grafting    by    approach,    to 

cover  bare  spaces  on  pyra- 
midal trees 384 

187.  Grafting  by  approach  as  ap- 

plied to  wail  and  Espalier 
trees 884 

188.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree,  fourth 

pruning 385 

189.  Pyramidal  Pear  tree,   fifth 

pruning 386 

190.  Figure    theoretically    indi- 

cating the  mode  of  form- 
ing a  pyramidal  Pear  tree  387 

191.  Young  pyramidal  Pear  tree  387 

192.  Pyramidal   Pear   tree  with 

bent  branches     ....  388 

193.  Pyramidal    Pear  tree,    re- 

grafted 389 

194.  Wail  Pear  tree  regraf ted     .  390 

195.  Pear   tree   trained    in    the 

columnar  form    ....  391 


xu 


LIST   OP   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


vie.  PAOB 

196.  Pendolous  training  of  wall 

Pear  tree 892 

197.  Grafting  of  fruit  buds  and 

ehoots 893 

198.  Grafting  of  fruit  buds  and 

shoots 893 

199.  Grafting  of  fruit  buds  and 

shoots 893 

200.  Grafting  of  fruit  buds  and 

shoots 893 

201.  Grafting  of  fruit  buds  and 

shoots 393 

202.  Proper  mode  of  cutting  shoot  394 

203.  Shoot  cut  too  long     .     .     .394 

204.  Shoot  cut  too  low  .    .     .    .  394 

205.  Pear  shoot  properly  pinched  394 

206.  Pear  shoot  pinched  too  short  894 

207.  Besult  of  over-piuching .     .  394 

208.  Another    result    of    over- 

pinching    394 

209.  Pinching  of  the  bourgeon 

anticipe 894 

210.  Stipulary    buds    forced    to 

stort 394 

211.  Branch  of  Fig  tree     .     .     .396 

212.  Fig  tree  growing  on  level 

ground 397 

218.  Section   showing    Fig   tree 

growing  on  level  ground  .  398 

214.  Mode  of  burying  Fig  trees 

cultivated  on  level  ground  399 

215.  Fig  tree  planted  on  sloping 

ground 400 

216.  Section    showing    Fig   tree 

planted  on  inclined  ground  401 

217.  Fig  tree  planted  on  sloping 

ground,    buried     for    the 
winter  mouths     ....  401 

218.  Stem  of  Fig  the  sixth  year 

after  planting      ....  402 

219.  Fig  branch  with  young  fruit  402 

220.  Branch  of  Fig  tree  after  the 

gathering  of  the  crop   .     .  403 

221.  Branch  of  Fig  tree  after  the 

gathering  of  the  crop    .     .  404 

222.  Tbomery    mode    of    fixing 

bottles      for      preserving 
Grapes  through  winter      .  407 

223.  Ferri<^res    mode    of    fixing 

bottles      for      preserving 
Grapes  through  winter     .  407 

224.  Portion  of  upri>;ht  used  in 

Grape-room  at  Ferri^res  .  407 

225.  Interior  of  Grape-room  .     ,  409 

226.  WallofChasselasatThomery  413 

227.  Bose-Charmeux's  system  of 

vertical  training ....  414 

228.  Vines  trained  vertically  with 

alternated  spurs .    .    •     .414 


VIO.  PAOS 

229.  Low  double  Espalier .     .    .415 

230.  Sections  of  top  of  wall  at 

Thomery 415 

231.  Sulphur     distributor     em- 

ployed at  Thomery  .     .     .416 

232.  Pruning  to  obtain  the  two 

arms  of  the  Cordon  .     .     .416 

233.  Low     £spalier     of    Vines 

trained  vertically     .     .     .417 

234.  Layer  of  Vine  raised  and 

planted  in  basket    .     .     .417 

235.  Moveable  scaffold  used  for 

thinning  the  Grapes    .     .413 

236.  Shade    to    protect    Grape- 

thinners  from  strong  sun  .  419 

237.  Frame  for  carrying  baskets 

of  Grapes  to  store-rooms  .  419 

238.  Mode  of  Grafting  the  Vine 

at  Thomery 420 

239.  Mode  of  Grafting  the  Vine 

by  approach  at  Thomery  .  420 

240.  Gouge  used  in  grafting  the 

Vine 420 

241.  Small  pit  used  for  forcing 

the  Vine 421 

242.  Small  span-roofed  house  for 

forcing  the  Vine     .     .     .  422 

243.  Trellis  for  Pear  trees      .     .  427 

244.  Double     trellis    for     Pear 

trees 429 

245.  Section  of  protection  used 

for  Espalier  trees  at  Ver- 
sailles   431 

246.  Side  view  of  protection  to 

double  line  of  Espaliers    .  431 

247.  Border     of     superimposed 

Cordons  at  Versailles  .     .432 

248.  Section  of  preceding .     .     .  433 

249.  Plan  of  fruit  garden  ...   434 

250.  Galvanized     iron     bracket 

for  supporting  temporary 
coping 436 

251.  Fruit    tree     in     the    vase 

form 437 

252.  Pear  trained  in  vase  fonn  .  438 

253.  Early  spring  aspect  of  Peach 

wall  in  the  garden  of  M. 
Chevallier 441 

254.  Leaf  of  Peach  tree  attacked 

by  the  Cloque    .     .     .     .442 

255.  Peach   shoot   attacked    by 

the  Cloque 442 

256.  Small  wooden  coping  to  pro- 

tect young  Peach  trees  in 
spring 443 

257.  Second  pruning  of  fruiting 

Peach  branch     .     .     .     .444 

258.  Mode  of  shading  the  stems 

of  fruit  trees 445 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XIU 


vie.  tjlqm 

259.  Fraitioflf  bnuich  of  Peach 

submitted    to    the    third 
yeai's  pruning  ....  446 

260.  Pruning  to  replace  old  fruit- 

spur 447 

261.  R^ult  of  preceding  opera- 

tion      447 

262.  The  Napoleon  Peach  tree  .  448 

263.  Peach  trees  trained  to  form 

their  owner's  name      .     .449 

264.  Spring  aspect  of  fruit  garden 

formed  by  M.  Lep^re  .     .  451 

265.  Mode  of  pruning  to  cover 

bare  spaces  on  the  branches 

of  Peach  trees,  Ist  year    .  452 

266.  Result  of  preceding  opera- 

tion, 2nd  year    ....  452 

267.  Summer  management  of  the 

Peach 453 

268.  Shoot  of  Peach      ....  453 

269.  Peach  tree  trained  horizon- 

tally     454 

270.  Disbudding  of  the  Peach, 

second  year 455 

271.  Disbudding  of  the  Peach, 

second  year  .....  455 

272.  Graftinsf    by   approach    to 

furnish  bare  spaces  on 
branches  of  the  Peach  tree  456 
278.  Multiple  grafting  by  ap- 
proach to  furitish  bare 
spacer  on  the  stems  of 
Peach  trees 457 

274.  DeUils  of   Figs.  272  and 

273 458 

275.  NaU  basket 458 

276.  Peach  trained  in  the  double 

Ufomi 459 

277.  Peach  trained  in  the  double 

Uform 460 

278.  Pump  used  in  the  market 

gardens  of  Paris      .     .     .  463 

279.  "Water    pot    used    by    the 

market  gardeners  of  Paris  464 

280.  Mouth  of  Mushroom  Cave 

at  Montrouge    ....  473 

281.  View  in  Mushroom  Cave    .  475 

282.  Entrance    to    subterranean 

quarry 478 

283.  Plan  of  large  subterranean 

quarry 479 

284.  SecUon   following  the  line 

C  D  in  preceding  figure  .  480 

285.  Extracting  the  stone  in  sub- 

terranean quarries .     .     .  482 

286.  View  in   old   subterranean 

quarries  devoted  to  Mush- 
room culture     ....  483 

287.  Newly  made  Mushroom  beds  484 


ne.  PASS 

288.  Mushroom    bed    on    shelf 

against  wall  of  cellar  .     .  485 

289.  Pyramidal    Mushroom   bed 

on  floor  of  cellar      .     .     .  485 

290.  Mushrooms  grown  in  bottom 

of  old  cstsk 48d 

291.  Four  plants  of  the  Lettuce 

Petite    Noire    under    the 
Cloche 490 

292.  Sloping  bed  for  three  rows 

of  Cloches 491 

293.  Diagram  showing  the  dif- 

ferent stages  of  Lettuce 
culture  under  the  Cloche .  493 

294.  Figure      showing     annual 

earthings  given  to  Aspa- 
ragus   -.     .  503 

295.  Figure    showing    mode    of 

planting  Asparagus     .     .  507 

296.  Common  mode  of  forming 

an  Asparagus  plantation  .  508 

297.  Preparation  for  forcing  As- 

paragus     518 

298.  Mode  of  tying-up  the  Car- 

doon  for  blanching  .    .     .  523 

299.  Early  Potatoes  arranged  for 

**  sprouting**  indoors    .     ,  527 

300.  The  flower  market  at  the 

Madeleine 548 

301.  Tree-lifting    machine  :   side 

elevation 552 

302.  Plan  of  tree-lifting  machine  558 

303.  Tree-lifiing  machine :   back 

view ,  55i 

304.  Tree-lifting  machine  :  front 

view 555 

305.  Trunk  of  large  tree  recently 

planted  enveloped  in  moss 
and  canvas 557 

306.  Small  machineforliftingspe- 

cimen  shrubs  and  Conifers  559 

307.  Screw    used    in    preparing 

specimens  for  removal  as 
shown  in  preceding  figure  560 

308.  Par  of  carriage  for  trans- 

porting Orange  trees    .     .561 

309.  Carriage    for    transporting 

Orange  trees       ....  562 

310.  Truck  for  moving  plants     .  562 

311.  Tub  for  Orange  trees     .     .  563 

312.  Garden  chair 563 

313.  Seat  with  box  for  climbing 

plants 564 

314.  Seat  with  tent-like  shade   .  564 

315.  Portion  of  Pear  stand  at 

Ferri^res 566 

316.  Upri^rht  for  Pear  stands     .  566 
817.  Position  of  fruit   on  Pear 

stand 566 


XIV 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


TIG.  PAOB 

818.  Arrangement  for  using  chlo- 

ride of  calcium  ....  567 

819.  Panier 567 

820.  The  plough  hoe     .     .     .     .568 

821.  The  £inette 568 

2^22.  Narrow  frames  used  hy  the 

market  gardeuers  of  Paris  569 
828.  Frame   for   making    straw- 
mats    570 

824.  Frame  covered  with    neat 

straw  mat 571 

325.  The  Num^roteur .     .     .     .573 

826.  The  S^ateur  Yauthier .     .  575 

827.  The  Secateur  Lecointe  .     .  576 

828.  The  common  Secateur  .     .  576 

829.  The  Kaidisseur  ....  577 
880.  Key  of  Baidiflseur  .  .  .577 
831.  GoUignon's  Kaidisseur  .  .  577 
382.  Side  yiew  of  preceding  .  .  578 
333.  Kaidisseur  used  in  the  gar- 
den of  the  Exhibition  .     .  578 

384.  The  simplest  and  best  form 

of  Kaidisseur 579 

885.  Spai*ganium  ramosum    .     .  581 

886.  Mode  of  protecting  walls    .  582 

887.  If  fy  If         .  583 

888.  Double  Espalier  ....  584 

839.  Wall  protected  with   wide 

temporary  coping  and  can- 
vas curtains 585 

840.  Mode  of  fixing  iron  support  586 

841.  Lath  shade  for  Conservatory  586 

842.  „  „  '  587 
848.  ft  jf  .  588 
844.  Mode  of  arranging  wires  on 

walls 588 

345.  Wall  with  galvanized  wires .  589 

346.  Galvanized  wire  on  walls  for 

training  Cordons     .     .     .  590 
847.  Wall    wired    for    Cordon 

training 591 


848.  Trellis  for  young  trees  in 

nurseries 592 

349.  Edgings  for  parks  and  public 

gM^dens 594 

350.  Edgings  for  parks  and  public 

gardens 595 

351.  Edgings  for  parks  and  public 

gardens    ....     .     .  595 

852.  The  Cloche 596 

358.         „  59T 

354.  „  59V 

355.  The  Cloche  in   the  propa- 

gating house 598 

356.  Winged  Pear  tree     ...  617 

357.  Plan  of  preceding  figure      .  618 

358.  Name  formed  by  Pear  trees  621 
859.  Pear  induced   to  emit  its 

own  roots 622 

360.  Kesultof  preceding  operation  622 
861.  Plan  of  &uit  garden  .     .     .  626 

362.  Pear    tree    shown    at    the 

Exhibition 627 

363.  Walk    arched    over    with 

fruit  trees 628 

364.  Simple  mode  of  supporting 

Espalier  tree 629 

365.  Details  of  the  preceding  .     .629 

366.  „  „  .     .  629 
867.  View  in  fruit  garden      .     .  630 

368.  Plan  of  Espalier      .       .     .  630 

369.  Monogram  formed  by  fruit 

trees 631 

370.  Self-supporting  Espaliers   .  632 

371.  ,1  ff  .  633 

372.  „  „  .  633 
378.  Pear    tree    from    Espalier 

trained  to  form  the  name 
Nallet 634 

374.  Pear  tree  in  crinoline  form  635 

375.  „  „  „  636 

376.  Plan  of  preceding     .     .     .636 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


FIG.  PAOS 

1.  The  Place  de  U  Concorde 2 

3.  The  Ayenae  dee  Champa  Elys^ 4 

3.  Scene  in  the  Champs  EljB^es 6 

4«  The  Champs  Elys^  near  the  Palais  de  Tlndustrie 8 

ff.  The  Place  du  Carrousel 10 

6.  The  Gardens  of  the  Tuileries 14 

7.  Island  and  Restaurant  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne 26 

8.  Cascades  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne 22 

9.  Lake  and  islands  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne 18. 

10.  Stream  and  rocks  bear  Longchamps 24 

11.  View  in  the  Bois  de  Vincennes 35 

12.  Mode  of  watering  the  grass  in  the  parks 40 

18.            „            ,,           roads,  drives,  &c 44 

14.  The  Pare  Monoean 50 

15.  Fine-leaved  plants  in  the  Pare  Monceau 56 

16.  Lake  and  cliffs  in  the  Pare  des  Buttes  Chaumont 60 

17.  Bird's- eye  View  in  the  Pare  des  Buttes  Chaumont 62 

18.  The  Gardens  and  Palace  of  the  Luxembourg 76 

19.  Woodwardias  in  the  Conservatories  of  the  Luxembourg  Garden      .     .  81 

20.  "View  of  the  Square  and  Tour  St  Jacques 82 

21.  The  Square  and  Tour  St.  Jacques 84 

22.  „        „         Fountain  des  Innocents S6 

23.  View  of  the  Palais  des  Thermes  from  the  garden 103 

24.  Church  of  the  Trinity,  with  garden  and  fountain  in  front 106 

25.  The  Gardens  of  the  Palais  Royal 88 

26.  The  Cemetery  of  Pbre  La  Chaise 108 

27.  The  Place  du  Chfttelet 116 

28.  View  on  the  Boulevards  near  the  Ch&teau  d'Eau 114 

29.  The  Boulevard  du  Temple 120 

80.        „  ,,         Montmartre 124 

31.  „  „  St.  Michel 126 

32.  The  Louvre,  Institut,  and  Quais 137 

33.  Bambusa  falcata 215 

34.  The  Palace  and  Gardens  of  Versailles 239 

35.  View  from  the  Tapis  Vert 240 

36.  Fountains  of  the  basin  of  Neptune 242 

37.  La  ToUette  d'Apollon 244 


XVI  LIST   OF  PLATES. 

38.  The  ColoDDiide  at  VenaiUes 247 

39.  View  in  the  GardenB  of  the  Petit  TriaDon 250 

40.  The  Parterre  at  FontaiDebleau 353 

41.  View  from  the  Parterre  at  Fontainebleaa 254 

42.  GardeDS  and  Palace  of  St.  Cloud 259 

43.  The  Peach  trained  as  an  obliqne  cordon 368 

44.  Pear  tree  trained  as  a  Palmetto  Yerrier 374 

45.  View  in  Mushroom  Caves  under  Montrouge 477 

46.  The  Halles  Centrales 540 

47.  Interior  of  the  Halles  Centrales 542 

48.  The  Place  St.  Sulpice 544 

MAPS:- 

Bois  de  Boulogne 28 

„      Vinoennes 36 

Yenailles  et  les  Trianons 248 


BY  TSB  8AMB  AUTHOR, 
In  Preparation,  and  will  be  Published  during  tbe  present  Year, 

This  book  will  contain  an  explanation  of  tbe  principles  on  which  the  exqoisite  flora 
of  Alpine  countries  may  be  gn^wn  in  all  parts  of  the  British  Islands;  illustrations  of 
properly  formed  rockwork  for  theee  plants,  with  sections  showing  the  wrong  as  well 
as  the  right  modes  of  constmctinpr  it ;  riews  of  the  natoral  homes  of  the  plants, 
Ulustrating  the  Author*s  tour  in  the  Alps,  and  a  description,  deroid  of  all  technicalities, 
of  a  choice  selection  of  tbe  more  beautiful  snd  interesting  kindn,  and  their  successftd 
cnltfTation. 


INTRODUCTION. 


"  And  let  it  appeare  that  he  doth  not  change  his  Country  Manners  for 
those  of  Forraigne  Parts:  But  only  prick  in  some  Flowers  of  that  he 
hath  Learned  abroad  into  the  Customes  of  his  own  country." 

Bacon's  Esjay  on  Travel, 


The  success  met  with  by  my  little  book  on  French  horticul- 
ture led  me  to  hope  that  a  work  describing  the  progress  of 
our  neighbours  in  city  improvements,  and  giving  a  detailed 
account  of  the  production  of  the  more  important  fruits  and 
vegetables  for  the  Paris  market,  might  prove  useful.  Hence 
the  present  volume.  In  my  "Gleanings  from  French 
Grardens/'  the  question  of  public  gardening  was  scarcely 
alluded  to ;  in  this  book  nearly  one  half  is  devoted  to  parks, 
wide  tree-planted  roads,  public  gardens,  squares,  and  similar 
means  of  rendering  great,  ugly,  gloomy,  filthy  human 
hives  fitter  dwelling-places  for  vast  hosts  of  men.  A  belief 
that  London  may,  without  great  sacrifice  on  our  part,  be 
made  the  noblest  city  in  the  world — as  fair  and  clean  as 
wide-spreading  and  wealthy — and  the  knowledge  that  the 
system  of  public  gardening  now  pursued  by  us  is  not  the 
one  calculated  to  lead  to  this  end,  have  induced  me  to  give 
the  stay-at-home  public,  and  especially  that  section  of  it 
interested  in  city  improvement,  an  idea  of  the  efforts  that 
are  being  made  in  the  capital  of  France  to  ameliorate  the 
conditions  of  life. 

There  is  no  need  to  expatiate  on  the  necessity  of  a 
thoroughly  good  system  of  public  gardening  in  the  great 
cities  of  a  wealthy  and  civilized  race;  nor  to  describe  the 
want  of  it  in  our  own  case — ^this  is  painted  but  too  plainly 
on  the  faces  of  thousands  in  our  densely-packed  cities,  in 

c 


XVIU  INTaODUCnON. 

TThich  the  active  brain  and  heart  of  the  conntry  are  con- 
tinually  being  concentrated.  That  London  is  no  longer 
a  city^  but  a  nation  gathered  together  in  one  spot^  is  a 
tnusm :  our  other  great  cities  are  almost  keeping  pace 
"with  it  in  growth;  but  in  none  of  them  can  we  see  a 
trace  of  any  attempt  to  open  up  their  closely  peopled 
quarters  in  a  way  that  is  calculated  to  produce  a  really 
beneficial  efiect  on  the  lives  and  health  of  their  workers. 
Parks  we  have,  it  is  true ;  yet  they  but  partially  supply  the 
necessities  of  large  cities.  They  would  serve  all  our  wants 
if  the  population  breathed  only  as  often  as  they  put  on 
holiday  attire  or  have  time  to  walk,  it  may  be  several  miles, 
to  a  park ;  but,  as  we  are  constituted,  room  for  locomotion, 
room  for  the  ever- cleansing  breeze  to  search  out  impurities, 
room  for  a  few  trees  to  steal  away  the  dark  and  unlovely 
aspect  of  our  streets — in  a  word,  room  for  breathing — ^is  a 
more  pressing  necessity  than  parks.  The  French  have  their 
parks  and  public  gardens,  and  very  extensive  and  well- 
managed  ones,  though,  like  some  of  our  own,  embellished 
in  a  wasteful  and  unnecessary  manner  with  costly  and  tender 
plants;  but  their  noble  tree-planted  roads,  small  public 
squares  and  places,  are  doing  more  for  them  than  parks 
and  pelargoniums  —  saving  them  from  pestilential  over- 
crowding, and  making  their  city  something  besides  a  place 
for  all  to  live  out  of  who  can  afford  it. 

A  great  many  of  us  Britons  are  apt  to  connect  real  city 
improvement  with  autocratic  government.  One  has  only 
to  speak  of  our  backwardness,  when  he  is  instantly  re- 
minded that  it  is  all  in  consequence  of  not  being  blessed 
with  a  Napoleon,  and  that  there  is  for  us  no  chance  of 
amelioration  except  we  can  secure  a  ruler  who,  after  puri- 
fying and  putting  our  cities  into  decent  nineteenth  century 
order,  will  good-humouredly  take  a  month's  notice  to 
quit.  If  the  logic  of  such  reasoncrs  were  at  all  in  pro- 
portion to  their  abundance,  we  should  move  onward  but 
little  more  progressively  than  the  man-like  apes.  There  is 
no  natural  human  want  or  wrong  that  cannot  be  remedied 
by  human  wisdom  and  energy ;  and  the  most  crying  evil  of 
this  period  of  change,  when  the  mass  of  workers  are  steadilv 


INTBODUCnON.  XIX 

the  countrjr  for  the  city,  is  that  our  towns  are 
■till  built  upon  a  plan  worthy  of  the  dark  ages,  and 
barely  justifiable  where  the  breath  of  the  meadow  sweeps 
through  the  high  street.  Another  notion  is  that  the  expense 
of  such  improvements  must  always  prevent  them  from  being 
carried  out.  '^No  labour/'  says  Emerson — ^'no  labour, 
pains,  temperance,  poverty,  nor  exercise,  that  can  gain 
health  must  be  grudged;  for  sickness  is  a  cannibal  which 
eats  up  all  the  life  and  youth  it  can  lay  hold  of,  and  absorbs 
its  own  sons  and  daughters.'^  And  shall  we  spare  even  less 
in  the  attempt  to  provide  for  the  bodily  health  and  happi- 
ness of  three  millions  of  men  closely  packed  in  a  city  grow- 
ing fiister  than  the  giant  bamboo  ? 

The  real  want  is  a  want  of  plan ;  and  that  it  is  to  be  hoped 
Parliament  will  soon  give  us  power  to  obtain.  At  present  this 
want  is  glaringly  apparent  not  only  in  the  central  and  more 
crowded  parts,  but  all  round  London,  where  admirable  pre- 
parations may  be  seen  for  the  formation  of  a  mighty  cordon 
of  suburban  St.  Gileses  twenty  years  hence.  Next  comes 
the  question  of  expense,  and  from  that  neither  autocrats 
nor  parliaments  can  so  readily  relieve  us.  Is  it  too  much 
to  hope  that  a  portion  of  our  vast  expenditure  for  arsenals, 
armies,  fleets,  and  fortifications  may  some  day  be  diverted 
to  making  such  alterations  in  our  cities  as  will  render 
possible  in  them  the  rearing  of  worthy  representatives  of 
the  English  race  ?  Let  us  hope  not ;  but  supposing  that 
we  should  never  see  even  the  dawn  of  so  desirable  an  era, 
and  that  money  should  still  be  profusely  spent  in  every  way 
but  that  of  rendering  our  cities  worthy  of  our  time,  our 
knowledge,  our  civilization,  and  our  race,  there  yet  remains 
a  course  by  which  we  may  effect  some  good  without  in- 
creasing the  expenditure  we  bestow  on  parks  and  public 
gardens  generally,  and  that  is  by  a  complete  alteration  in  the 
direction  of  the  outlay. 

Our  public  gardening  differs  chiefiy  from  that  of  Paris 
and  other  continental  cities  by  keeping  itself  away  from 
the  very  parts  where  its  presence  is  most  wanted.  We 
have  parks  almost  prairie-like  in  their  roominess,  yet 
locomotion  is  scarcely  possible  in  those  parts  of  the  city 

e2 


XX  INTEODUCTION. 

where  the  chief  commerce  of  this  great  empire  is  carried  on, 
and  square  miles  of  densely  packed  r^ons  are  no  more 
benefited  by  them  than  if  they  never  existed.  I  believe 
that^  by  the  diversion  of  all  needless  expenditure  from  the 
parks,  and  by  converting  this  and  all  the  future  money  that 
can  be  spared,  to  the  improvement  of  the  densely  crowded 
parts,  we  may  efiect  an  admirable  change  for  the  better. 
The  parks  are  now  managed  on  a  scale  which  is  quite  un- 
justifiable, if  we  take  into  consideration  the  many  miserable 
quarters  of  London  which  are  utterly  neglected.  It  must 
be  understood,  however,  that  no  imputation  is  here  made 
against  their  practical  management;  but  the  system  of 
richly  embellishing  them  whilst  paying  no  attention  to  im- 
provements better  calculated  to  humanize  our  existence  in 
towns,  is  unwise  in  every  way. 

Everybody  conversant  with  the  London  parks  must  have 
noticed  the  great  display  of  tender  flowers  and  costly  garden- 
ing which  has  been  presented  in  them  for  some  years  back. 
This  decoration  is  of  such  a  nature  that  it  has  to  be  renewed 
every  year ;  andinevery  case  a  set  of  glass-houses,  with  all  their 
consequent  expense  for  fuel  and  labour,  must  be  maintained 
for  each  park.  On  this  principle  a  spot  of  ground  not  larger 
than  a  table  may  annually  cost  several  pounds  for  its  embel- 
lishment. There  is  nothing  about  the  system  more  notice- 
able and  objectionable  than  its  growth.  Each  park  is  ap- 
proaching more  and  more  the  character  of  a  costly  garden, 
while  for  the  want  of  a  few  hardy  trees,  a  patch  of  green 
sward,  and  a  spread  of  gravel  to  act  as  a  playground  for 
children  instead  of  the  gutter,  many  close  districts  of  London 
are  so  foul  and  cheerless  as  to  be  a  byeword  all  over  the 
world.  It  is  perfectly  natural  that  the  superintendents  of 
our  parks  should  each  wish  to  make  the  one  under  his  charge 
as  attractive  as  the  others,  from  a  mere  gardening  point  of 
view ;  and  it  is  even  more  natural  that  the  authorities  should 
accept  the  opinions  of  those  officials  as  the  most  trustworthy 
on  such  matters ;  but  it  should  be  the  duty  of  both  to  consult 
the  public  interest  above  all  things,  and  that  interest  points 
to  a  complete  alteration.  It  is  always  unpleasant  to  reduce 
an  establishment^  and  doubtless  it  would  be  hard  for  the  gar- 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

deners  to  part  with  their  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tender 
flowers  or  to  endure  a  eheck  in  their  career  of  converting 
our  parks  into  sumptuous  gardens ;  but  if  they  saw  that  this 
reduction  of  expenditure  would  lead  to  a  more  wholesome 
outlay  elsewhere,  they  would  willingly  help  out  its  adoption. 

No  objection  could  be  urged  against  the  costly  system 
alluded  to  were  it  not  for  its  expense,  which,  as  anybody 
may  see,  is  growing  under  our  eyes  every  day.  It  is  a 
very  good  and  worthy  thing  to  display  much  of  the  beauty 
of  exotic  vegetation  in  our  parks  and  public  gardens,  pro« 
vided  we  can  afford  it  without  doing  injustice  to  those  who 
cannot  snatch  as  much  time  from  toil  as  suffices  for  an 
airing  in  the  parks.  Span  a  piece  of  ornamental  park  water 
with  a  crystal  palace,  if  you  will ;  convert  it  into  a  home 
for  the  Great  Amazonian  Water  Lily,  and  fringe  it  with 
Palms  and  the  richest  tropical  vegetation ;  but  first  be  assured 
that  you  are  able  to  afford  it,  and  ask  yourself  whether  the 
amount  required  would  not  do  twenty  times  the  good  if 
expended  in  green  grass,  and  trees,  and  flowers  that  endure 
the  open  air  of  Britain.  Make,  if  you  will,  another  ridi- 
culous parterre  of  stone  and  water  squirts  like  that  at  the 
head  of  the  Serpentine ;  but  first  consider  whether  it  would 
not  be  wiser  to  establish  a  little  verdure  and  freshness  in  some 
of  the  more  tumid  parts  of  what  Cobbett  used  to  call  the 
"great  wen.^^  The  new  avenue  gardens  in  the  Regent^s 
Park,  with  their  griffins  and  artificial  stonework,  have  cer- 
tainly cost  as  much  as  would  have  created  an  oasis  in  some 
pestilential  part  of  the  East-end.  Even  tlie  annual  expense 
of  keeping  up  one  of  these  park  gardens  is  equivalent  to 
what  would  suffice  to  form  and  plant  a  little  square  like 
those  so  freely  dotted  about  Paris  during  the  past  dozen 
years ;  while  the  mere  conversion  of  a  strip  of  breezy  park 
into  an  elaborate  garden  effects  no  good  whatever  from  a 
sanitary  point  of  view. 

Let  us  illustrate  the  matter  in  a  less  general  way.  Last 
year  a  niunber  of  Bay-trees  in  tubs  were  placed  in  Trafalgar 
Square ;  and  it  need  hardly  be  added  that  these  require  fre- 
quent attention  both  in  summer  and  winter — a  storehouse 
during  the  latter  season — ^while  the  wooden  tubs  in  which 


XXII  INTRODUCTION. 

they  are  placed  insure  by  rottmg  a  perpetual^  if  triflings 
expense.  These  proved  that  any  kind  of  tree  may  be 
placed  in  the  streets  of  London  as  safely  as  in  any  other 
city;  but  they  also  showed  the  very  short-sighted,  dis- 
heartening nature  of  the  whole  scheme  of  our  public  gar- 
dening. Not  one  single  thing  could  these  costly  green 
toys  do  for  our  streets  or  open  spaces  that  could  not  be 
effected  infinitely  better  by  hardy  trees,  requiring  no  atten- 
tion after  planting ;  and  when  one  thinks  of  the  vast  areas 
of  this  world  of  London,  that  are  almost  impenetrable,  mise- 
rable is  the  only  term  that  can  be  applied  to  such  remedies 
as  this !  It  is  simply  doctoring  a  wart  while  a  horrid 
abscess  is  sapping  away  the  life  of  the  patient.  And  ascend- 
ing from  contemptible  things  of  this  tree-in-tub  sort,  the 
same  reasoning  holds  good  with  much  of  our  higher  public 
gardening. 

Who  would  not  forego  the  trifling  gratification  of  seeing 
large  portions  of  our  parks  so  elaborately  decorated  as  to 
require  almost  as  much  attention  as  a  drawing-room,  if 
the  small  sacrifice  were  accompanied  by  the  knowledge 
that  tenfold  greater  good  was  being  carried  out  where  the 
want  of  it  was  the  blackest  spot  on  our  social  condition  ? 
Are  not  the  materials  of  nature  in  our  own  latitudes 
good  enough  for  us  ?  See  what  is  done  by  a  few  materials 
in  her  own  gardens;  reflect  what  privileges  we  have  in 
being  able  to  cull  her  varied  riches  from  the  plains  and 
mountains  all  over  the  temperate  and  cold  and  alpine 
regions  of  both  hemispheres;  and  then  consider  whether 
it  is  wise  to  spend  the  public  money  for  glass-houses  and  the 
annual  propagation  and  preservation  of  multitudes  of  costly 
exotics.  A  better  and  a  nobler  system  than  that  which  is 
at  present  the  rule  in  our  parks  I  have  endeavoured  to  point 
out  at  pages  22  to  29. 

The  purposes  to  which  the  greater  portion  of  our  future 
expenditure  in  city  gardening  ought  chiefly  to  be  devoted  are 
the  making  of  wide  tree-bordered  roads  and  small  simple 
squares,  open  to  the  public  at  all  reasonable  hours.  The 
squares  should  not  be  embellished  in  a  costly  way ;  but  if 
the  persons  to  whose  care  their  design  may  be  entrusted 


INTBODUCmOK.  XXUl 

could  not  make  them  beautiful  and  grateful  to  the  eye  of 
taste  by  the  use  of  hardy  materials  which  require  no  costly 
annual  attention  after  planting,  they  should  be  considered 
unworthy  of  their  posts.  Where  space  could  not  be  afforded 
for  a  little  expanse  of  the  ever-welcome  turf,  even  a  spot  of 
gravelled  earth  with  trees  overhead,  and  a  few  seats  around, 
would  be  a  real  improvement.  The  Parisian  system  of 
managing  squares,  described  in  Chapter  VI.,  is  infinitely 
superior  to  ours,  and  must  sooner  or  later  be  adopted  with  us. 
Of  course  its  adoption  need  not  necessarily  interfere  with 
the  private  squares,  but  it  should  be  tried  on  a  small  scale  at 
the  earliest  opportunity. 

In  connexion  with  small  squares,  we  may  consider  the 
city  graveyards ;  and  nothing  can  be  more  ill-considered 
than  the  mutilations  that  have  in  several  cases  been  con- 
sidered necessary  before  making  gardens  of  them.  Every 
churchyard  can  be  embellished,  without  uprooting  bones, 
removing  headstones,  or  anything  of  the  kind. 

In  the  creation  of  tree-planted  streets  in  the  more 
crowded  parts  both  of  London  proper  and  the  suburbs, 
they  should  not  as  a  rule  be  formed  on  the  site  of  old 
and  much  frequented  streets,  but,  so  far  as  possible,  pierced 
between  them,  leaving  the  largest  and  most  pop  ulcus  thorough- 
fares of  the  present  day  to  become  the  secondary  ones  of  the 
future.  As  is  pointed  out  in  the  chapter  on  trees  suitable 
for  cities,  properly  selected  kinds  grow  perfectly  well  in  all 
parts  of  London.  Indeed  I  know  of  no  city  where  I  could 
find  finer  examples  of  old  trees,  chiefly  in  ancient  private 
gardens  and  half-hidden  squares,  where  they  never  received 
any  attention  after  planting.  The  excellent  system  of  plant- 
ing trees  on  every  available  spot  practised  to  such  a  great 
extent  in  Paris,  should  be  commenced  and  carried  out  as  far 
as  possible  in  our  cities.  It  must  be  long  before  we  can 
attempt  anything  like  the  magnificent  boulevards  of  our  neigh- 
bours, but  let  us  insert  the  thin  end  of  the  wedge  here  and 
there,  and  perhaps  some  day  we  shall  have  streets  to  be  proud 
of.  In  beginning,  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  that  we 
avoid  as  far  as  possible  the  meanness  and  narrowness  charac- 
teristic of  our  style  of  making  street,  road,  and  footway. 


INTEODUCTION. 

even  in  places  where  want  of  room  is  not  a  drawback.  If 
I  am  not  misinformed,  the  footway  on  the  land  side  of  the 
road  that  is  to  run  alongside  the  Thames  Embankment^  near 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  is  to  be  sixteen  feet  wide,  and 
probably  some  of  that  will  be  taken  up  with  the  proposed 
line  of  trees.  In  this  magnificent  position,  to  which  any 
in  Paris  is  insignificant,  we  are  to  have  a  footway  that 
would  be  considered  half  a  dozen  feet  too  narrow  for  a 
second-class  boulevard  or  avenue  in  Paris  ! 

Whether  our  general  scheme  of  city  gardening  be 
changed  or  not,  we  may  carry  it  on  with  greater  economy 
and  much  improvement  by  the  adoption  of  a  system  re- 
sembling that  of  the  public  nurseries  of  Paris — as  pointed 
out  in  the  chapter  on  these.  It  is  impossible  to  have 
greater  need  for  economy  than  exists  in  this  matter  of  public 
gardening;  yet  the  public,  in  supplying  its  great  London 
parks,  does  what  hundreds  of  landed  proprietors  would  be 
foolish  to  do,  in  buying  its  own  evergreens  and  common 
nursery  stuff!  Our  parks  are  already  so  vast  that  the 
sums  required  for  planting  must  alone  form  a  heavy  item, 
nearly  all  of  which  could  be  saved  by  a  judicious  system  of 
public  nurseries.  At  present,  too,  there  is  growing  up  in 
each  park  a  nursery  of  glass,  an  expensive  affair — certain 
to  annually  increase  in  cost  if  a  check  be  not  applied. 
All  this  is  really  unnecessary.  With  a  sensible  reduction 
of  our  expensive  system  of  bedding  out,  or  even  as  matters 
are  at  present  arranged,  great  saving  might  be  effected  by 
having  all  the  tender  plants  for  the  park  gardens  raised  in 
one  establishment.  K  the  true  and  great  principle  of 
variety — the  advantages  of  which  as  applicable  to  public 
gardening  are  treated  of  at  p.  28 — were  adopted  in  earnest, 
this  concentration  of  the  expensive  glass-house  work  would 
be  all  the  more  convenient  and  advantageous. 

Another  great  improvement  might  be  effected  by  a  rigid 
exclusion  from  the  plantings  of  every  subject  that  is  not 
likely  to  thrive  healthfully  under  the  influences  of  London 
smut.  Many  specimens  of  fine  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs 
have  been  planted  in  our  parks  during  the  last  few  years, 
though  the  only  fate  that  awaits  them  therein  is  a  lingering 


INTRODUCTION.  XXY 

death.  When  it  is  stated  that  each  of  these  costs  many  times 
more  than  wonld  suffice  for  the  purchase  of  a  score  of  de- 
ciduous trees  which  succeed  perfectly  in  London^  the  neces- 
sity for  watchfuhxess  in  this  respect  will  be  apparent.  I  am 
satisfied  that  by  adopting  these  reforms  we  could  annually 
save  as  much  as  would  suffice  for  the  creation  of  a  small 
suburban  park  or  fresh  and  charming  public  square  or 
garden  in  some  overpacked  region  of  London,  into  which 
the  children  could  venture  without  rendering  themselves 
guilty  of  trespassing,  or  making  a  hazardous  climb  over  a 
sharp-spiked  railing,  as  they  frequently  do  in  our  amusing 
if  unlovely  Leicester  Square. 

We  now  come  to  practical  matters  relating  to  fruit  cul- 
ture, market  gardening,  etc.,  in  Paris  and  its  environs.  On 
these  matters  there  have  recently  been  prolonged  discus- 
sions, but  many  readers  and  disputants  have  been  misled  by 
confounding  the  comparative  state  of  horticulture  in  France 
and  England  with  the  real  point  at  issue — i.e.,  the  supe- 
riority of  the  French  in  certain  special  and  most  important 
branches  of  garden  culture.  I  have  never  asserted,  as  has 
been  assumed,  that  the  French  are  our  superiors  in 
general  horticulture,  for  I  know  right  well  that  we  are  as 
far  before  them  in  horticulture,  agriculture,  and  rural 
affairs  generally,  as  we  are  in  journalistic  and  magazine 
literature ;  but  I  do  assert  that  in  certain  points  of  fruit  and 
vegetable  culture  they  are  equally  as  far  in  advance  of  us. 
I  am  convinced,  too,  that  more  than  one  of  their  modes  ot 
culture  will  prove  of  far  greater  value  to  ourselves  than  ever 
they  have  been  to  the  French.  To  avoid  these  points,  and 
utter  commonplaces  about  our  general  superiority,  is  com- 
pletely to  beg  the  question.  Arc  we  to  ignore  their  good 
practices  because  we  happen  to  be  more  luxurious  in  our 
gardening  establishments  than  they  are  ?  If  I  were  to  find 
in  use  in  the  backwoods  of  America  some  handy  tool  or 
implement  effective  in  saving  human  labour,  should  I  be 
wise  in  refusing  to  adopt  it  because  the  rude  inventor  had 
not  attained  to  the  simplest  luxuries  of  existence  ?  If  we 
affirm  that  the  honey  of  the  bee  is  sweet,  the  statement  that 
bees  are  not  so  beautiful  as  butterflies  is  no  reply.     I  do 


XXVI  INTRODUCTION. 

not  write  to  praise  the  French^  but  to  point  out  in  wliat 
way  we  may  learn  from  them.  That  they,  too,  may  learn 
from  us  will  be  apparent  when  I  state  that  intelligent 
Frenchmen  have  pointed  doubtfully  at  plants  of  Rhubarb 
and  Seakale — two  of  our  most  excellent  vegetable  products — 
and  asked  if  it  were  true  that  we  eat  them  in  England ! 
The  general  introduction  into  Prance  of  these  two  vegetables, 
with  constitutions  as  vigorous  as  the  most  rampant  weeds, 
and  never  failing  to  furnish  abundant  yields,  would  not 
merely  be  a  gain  to  the  gardens  and  markets  of  a  great 
vegetable  and  fruit-eating  people  like  the  -French,  but  a 
material  addition  to  the  true  riches  and  food  supplies  of  the 
country. 

Of  the  practices  which  we  may  with  advantage,  and 
which  indeed  we  must  adopt  from  the  French — ^for  the 
fittest  win  the  day,  no  matter  how  long  the  struggle — ^those 
of  fruit  culture  command  our  first  attention,  because  good 
fruit  culture  combines  the  beautiful  and  the  useful  in  a  very 
high  degree. 

There  are  at  least  six  important  ways  in  which  we  may 
highly  improve  and  enrich  our  fruit  gardens  and  fruit  stores. 

^i^tf  by  planting  against  walls,  with  a  warm  southern 
exposure  and  a  white  surface,  the  very  finest  kinds  of 
winter  Pears — the  Pears  that  keep,  the  Pears  that  bring 
a  return,  the  Pears  that  cost  the  consumer  a  shilling  or 
more  each  in  the  London  markets  after  Christmas — the 
Pears  of  which  the  French  now  send  us  thousands  of  pounds 
worth  annually.  By  doing  this  we  shall  in  less  than 
ten  years  have  a  magnificent  stock  of  these  noble  fruits 
all  over  the  country,  and  be  able  to  export  the  fruit  we  now 
import  so  largely.  Varieties  of  winter  Pears  are  frequently 
planted  in  the  open,  in  all  parts  of  these  islands,  that  an 
experienced  fruit  grower  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris  or 
even  ftirther  south  would  never  plant  away  from  a  warm 
sunny  wall,  knowing  well  that  it  would  be  wasteful  ignorance 
to  do  so. 

Secondly,  by  the  general  adoption  of  the  cordon  system 
of  apple  growing  in  gardens.  This  will  enable  us  to  produce 
a  finer  class  of  fruit  than  that  grown  in  orchards.     It  may 


INTBODUCnON.  XXVU 

be  carried  out  in  spots  Idtherto  useless  or  unemployed^  and 
will  enable  us  to  do  away  with  the  ugly  Apple  trees  that 
now  shade  and  occupy  the  surface  of  our  gardens.  The 
system  will  be  found  the  greatest  improvement  our  garden 
Apple  culture  has  ever  witnessed.  It  should  be  thoroughly 
understood,  however,  that  I  do  not  recommend  this  system 
for  orchard  culture,  or  for  the  production  of  the  kinds  and 
qualities  of  fruits  that  may  be  gathered  profusely  from 
naturally  developed  standard  trees. 

Thirdly,  by  the  general  introduction  of  the  true  French 
Paradise  stodc  into  the  gardens  of  the  British  Isles.  Its 
merits  are  that  it  is  dwarfer  in  growth  than  any  other,  and 
that  in  wet,  cold  soils  it  keeps  its  roots  in  a  wig-like  tuft 
near  the  surface — a  most  valuable  quality  on  many  of  our 
cold^  heavy  soils.  When  well  known  it  will  be  found  an 
inestimable  boon  in  every  class  of  garden  except  those  on 
very  dry  and  poor  soils,  being  wonderfully  efficacious  in 
inducing  early  fertility,  and  affording  a  better  result  without 
root  pruning  than  either  the  Crab  or  English  Paradise  do 
with  that  attention.  The  knowledge  that  the  Doucin  of  the 
French  is  an  admirable  stock  for  all  forms  of  tree  between 
the  standard  of  the  orchard  and  the  very  dwarf  cordon  or 
bush,  will  also  be  very  useful.  The  Apple  should  not  be 
worked  on  the  Crab  unless  where  it  is  desired  to  form 
laj^  standard  trees  in  orchards — ^by  far  the  best  method,  if 
properly  carried  out,  for  market  and  general  supplies. 

Fourthly,  by  the  practice  of  the  French  method  of  close 
pruning  and  training  the  Peach  tree,  as  described  in  Chapter 
XIX.  The  system  adopted  in  this  country  is  an  entirely  diffe- 
rent one — a  loose,  irregular  style,  the  shoots  not  being  suffi- 
ciently cut  back.  The  Peach  tree  is  quite  as  amenable  to  exact 
training  as  any  other ;  and  when  the  regular  system  of  the 
French  is  understood  among  us,  it  will  be  adopted  as  the 
best  for  wall  culture.  Preference  should  also  be  given 
to  some  of  the  smaller  forms  of  tree  adopted  by  the 
French,  as  they  will  enable  us  to  cover  our  walls  with  fruit- 
ful handsome  trees  in  a  few  seasons  instead  of  waiting  many 
years,  as  has  hitherto  been  the  case,  and  then  perhaps  never 
seeing  them  well  covered.     These  forms  are  particularly 


XXVIU  INTRODUCTION. 

desirable  where  the  soil  is  too  light  and  poor  for  the  health 
and  full  development  of  large  wide-spreading  trees.  In  the 
last  edition  of  the  book  of  our  most  popular  English  teacher  of 
fruit  culture  are  these  words  : — "  A  wall  covered  with  healthy 
Peach  or  Nectarine  trees  of  a  good  ripe  age  is  rarely  to  be 
seen ;  failing  crops  and  blighted  trees  are  the  rule^  healthy 
and  fertile  trees  the  exception  V*  We  can  alter  this  by  the 
adoption  of  the  compact  cordon^  U  or  double  U  forms 
figured  in  this  book^  by  a  better  system  of  pruning^  and  by 
thoroughly  protecting  the  trees  in  spring. 

Fifthly,  by  adopting  for  every  kind  of  fruit  tree  grown 
against  walls  a  more  efficient  and  simple  mode  of  protection 
than  we  now  use.  In  speaking  of  fruit  culture,  nothing  is 
more  common  than  to  hear  our  climate  spoken  of  as  the 
cause  of  all  our  deficiencies — the  fine  climate  of  northern 
France  being  supposed  to  do  everything  for  the  cultivator. 
The  value  of  this  view  of  the  case  is  well  illustrated  by  the 
fact  that  all  good  practical  fruit  growers  about  Paris  take 
care  to  protect  their  fruit  walls  in  spring  by  means  of  wide 
temporary  copings.  In  this  country  I  have  never  anywhere 
seen  a  really  efficient  temporary  coping,  though  endless  time  is 
wasted  in  placing  on  boughs,  nets,  &;c.,  none  of  which  are  in 
the  least  effective  in  protecting  the  trees  from  the  cold 
sleety  rains,  which,  if  they  do  not  destroy  or  enfeeble  the 
fertilizing  power  of  the  blossoms,  prepare  them  to  become 
an  easy  prey  to  the  frost. 

Sixthly,  by  the  acquirement  and  diffusion  among  every 
class  of  gardeners  and  even  garden-labourers  of  a  know- 
ledge of  budding,  grafting,  pruning,  and  training  equal 
to  that  now  possessed  by  the  French.  Many  of  the  illu- 
strations in  this  book  show  the  mastery  they  possess  over 
each  detail  of  training — the  branches  of  every  kind  of 
tree  being  conducted  in  any  way  the  trainer  may  desire, 
and  with  the  greatest  case.  This  knowledge  is  quite  com- 
mon amongst  small  amateurs  and  workmen  whose  fellows 
in  this  country  would  not  know  where  to  put  a  knife  in 
a  tree.  There  are  numerous  professors  who  teach  it  in 
France ;  it  is  not  taught  at  all  or  in  the  most  imperfect 
manner  in  this  country,  where  it  is  really  of  far  greater 


INTEODUCTION.  XXIX 

importance.  We  require  walls  for  our  fruit  trees  more 
tiian  the  Frencli  do,  and  there  is  no  way  in  which  we  need 
improvement  more  than  in  the  matter  of  the  proper  covering 
and  development  of  wall  trees.  With  standard  trees,  pruning 
may  be  dispensed  with  to  a  great  extent ;  but  so  long  as  we 
are  obliged  to  devote  walls  to  the  production  of  our  finer 
fruits,  such  knowledge  as  is  now  possessed  by  good  French 
firoit  growers  must  prove  a  great  aid.  With  this  knowledge, 
and  the  adoption  of  one  of  the  two  economical  modes  of  wdl- 
making  described,  aided  by  the  general  introduction  of  the 
mechanical  aids  to  successful  garden  fruit  culture  now 
becoming  so  general  in  France,  and  which  I  have  described 
and  figured  at  length,  we  might  look  forward  to  a  vast 
improvement  in  our  fruit  gardens  both  as  regards  their 
beauty  and  utility. 

In  the  vegetable  departmentwe  have  also  several  important 
things  to  learn  from  the  French,  and  not  the  least  among  these 
is  the  winter  and  spring  culture  of  Salads — ^inasmuch  as 
enormous  quantities  of  these  are  sent  from  Paris  to  our 
markets  during  the  spring  months.  During  the  last  days 
of  April,  1868, 1  saw  fine  specimens  of  the  green  Cos  Lettuce 
of  the  Paris  market  gardeners  selling  at  a  high  price  in 
Nottingham,  and  doubtless  it  is  the  same  in  many  of  our 
great  cities  and  towns  far  removed  from  London.  As  I 
write  this  (April  19th)  the  market  gardens  near  London  are 
fidntly  traced  with  light  green  lines  of  weak  young  Lettuce 
plants,  that  have  been  for  weeks  barely  existing  under  the 
influences  of  our  harsh  spring.  Around  Paris  at  the  same 
season,  in  consequence  of  the  adoption  of  the  cloche  and  a 
careful  system  of  culture,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  the  size  and 
perfect  health  of  the  crops  of  Lettuces — the  diflTerence 
in  culture,  and  not  the  imaginary  difference  in  climate, 
solely  producing  the  result.  Some  have  remarked  that 
we  are  not  a  Salad-eating  race;  but  the  fact  that  large 
quantities  of  Parisian  Lettuces  are  imported  every  week  and 
every  day  for  many  weeks  in  spring,  proves  that  we  are 
so  in  so  far  as  we  can  afibrd  it.  K  the  restaurants 
and  houses  of  all  classes  in  Paris  had  to  be  supplied 
from  another  coimtry,  and  at  about  four  times  the  price 


INTRODUCnOK. 

they  now  -pnj,  the  FarisianB  would  use  even  less  than 
we  do. 

For  many  years  the  London  market  gardeners^  who  have 
long  seen  these  beautiful  Lettuces  selling  at  high  prices  in  the 
markets — at  as  much  as  9s.  per  dozen  wholesale — ^have  quietly 
concluded  that  they  came  from  some  Eden-like  spot  in  the 
south  of  France^  and  have  apparently  never  taken  the 
trouble  to  see  how  they  are  produced.  The  truth  is^  that 
by  the  adoption  of  the  French  system  they  may  be  grown 
to  fully  as  great  perfection  near  London  and  in  the  home 
counties  as  near  Paris.  The  fact  that  we  have  to  be  sup- 
plied by  our  neighbours  with  articles  that  coidd  be  so  easily 
produced  in  this  country  is  almost  ridiculous.  It  is  im- 
possible to  exaggerate  the  importance  of  this  culture  for  a 
nation  of  gardeners  like  the  British;  and  if  it  were  the 
only  hint  that  we  could  take  from  the  French  cultivators 
with  advantage^  it  would  be  well  worth  consideration. 
"  Enormous^'  was  the  term  which  was  made  use  of  by  a 
Paris  market  gardener  in  describing  to  me  the  quantities 
of  Lettuces  sent  from  his  garden^  and  the  numbers  of 
the  traders  who  came  in  search  of  them.  The  French  system 
will  have  the  first  diflSculty  to  get  over — ^that  of  people 
becoming  used  to  it^  and  slightly  changing  their  habits  of 
culture  to  accommodate  it;  but  it  must  ere  long  be  uni- 
versally adopted  with  us^  and  nothing  can  prevent  a  great 
benefit  being  reaped  from  it  by  the  horticulturists  of  the 
United  Kingdom. 

The  French  are  also  far  before  us  in  the  culture  and 
appreciation  of  Asparagus^  pursuing  a  system  quite  op- 
posed to  ours^  and  growing  it  so  abundantly  that  for 
many  weeks  in  spring  it  is  an  article  of  popular  use 
with  all  classes.  Some  among  us  affect  to  ridicule  French 
Asparagus  in  consequence  of  its  being  blanched  nearly  to 
the  top  of  the  shoot ;  but  they  forget,  or  ignore  the  fact, 
that  to  remove  this  imperfection,  if  it  be  one,  the  grower 
has  merely  to  save  himself  the  trouble  of  causing  it,  and  that 
he  may  adopt  the  superior  mode  of  culture  and  root- 
treatment  pursued  by  the  French  without  blanching  the 
stem  if  he  desires  it  in  a  green  state.     Apart  from  this,  their 


INTEODUCnOK.  XXXI 

experience  of  French  Asparagus  is  fireqnenily  limited  to 
samples  that  may  have  been  cut  in  France  a  fortnight 
before  they  reach  the  table  in  England,  having  passed  the 
intermediate  time  in  travelling  and  losing  quality  in  market 
or  shop. 

Having  treated  of  Parisian  market  gardening  generally 
in  a  special  chapter,  little  need  be  said  of  it  here  except 
that  the  ground  is  often  more  than  twice  as  dear  as  round 
London ;  that  in  consequence  of  close  rotation  and  deep 
and  rich  culture  a  great  deal  more  is  got  off  the  ground  in 
the  small  market  gardens  of  Paris  than  is  ever  the  case  in 
oar  larger  ones;  and  that  by  reason  of  the  general  prac- 
tice of  a  thorough  system  of  watering  the  markets  are 
as  well  supplied  during  the  hottest  summer  and  autumn 
as  if  the  climate  were  a  perpetual  moist  and  genial  June, 
whereas  when  we  have  an  exceptionally  warm  summer 
supplies  become  scarce  and  dear  almost  immediately,  as 
was  the  case  during  the  past  year.  The  whole  system 
of  culture  of  the  Paris  market  gardens  is  interesting  and 
suggestive  in  a  high  degree — especially  to  a  people  who 
take  so  much  pleasure  and  spend  so  much  money  in  their 
gardens  as  we  do.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  intro- 
duction of  the  same  system  of  very  close  cropping  and  good 
culture  would  be  a  great  public  advantage  near  all  our  large 
cities,  where  ground  is  always  scarce  and  dear.  It  would 
enable  us  to  get  at  least  double  the  quantity  of  vegetables 
off  the  same  space  of  ground,  and  better  still,  tend  to 
furnish  dwellers  in  cities  with  something  like  the  propor- 
tion of  fresh  vegetables  that  is  necessary  for  health.  Our 
working  people  do  not  at  present  use  in  a  suflBcient  degree 
any  vegetable  except  the  universal  Potato.  I  think  I  am 
well  within  the  mark  in  stating  that  the  poorer  classes  in 
Paris  use  three  times  as  much  of  fresh  vegetable  food  as 
the  same  classes  in  London.  But  improvements  of  our  vege- 
table and  firuit  markets  must  precede  all  amelioration  in  this 
direction. 

Parisian  Mushroom  culture  is  interesting  and  curious  in 
a  degree  of  which  till  lately  we  have  had  no  conception, 
as  will  be  seen  by  a  perusal  of  the  chapter  devoted  to  it. 


XXXll  INTRODUCTION. 

The  sketches  and  plan  that  illustrate  it — obtained  with 
some  diflBculty — are  the  first  that  have  been  published  on 
the  subject,  so  far  as  I  am  aware^  and  will  help  the  reader 
to  obtain  a  fair  idea  of  places  that  have  been  seen  by  very 
few  English  people,  and  of  which  most  Frenchmen  have 
only  a  mysterious  notion.  The  perusal  of  this  chapter  will 
doubtless  suggest  trials  of  the  culture  to  owners  of  mines 
and  cavernous  burrowings  of  any  kind ;  and  perhaps  in  time 
to  come  Mushrooms  may  be  a  readily  obtainable  commodity 
in  our  markets,  even  in  winter  and  spring,  when  they  are 
usually  very  high  priced  and  dear  with  us. 

In  conclusion,  I  may  allude  to  a  subject  that  is  familiar 
to  those  of  my  readers  who  peruse  the  horticultural  pub- 
lications of  the  day — ^viz.,  the  fierce  attacks  that  have  been 
made  upon  me  for  my  advocacy  of  some  of  the  practices 
herein  described.  These  attacks  have  chiefly  come  from 
certain  horticulturists  who  boast  of  having  traversed  France 
many  times  during  the  past  thirty  years,  and  who,  naturally 
perhaps,  hold  that  a  "  tyro,''  a  "  young  traveller,''  &c.  &c., 
who  first  visited  France  in  1867,  cannot  possibly  have  seen 
anything  good  or  instructive  that  has  escaped  their  expe- 
rienced and  sagacious  eyes.  The  only  reply  I  shall  now  or 
in  future  make  to  these  gentlemen  is  in  the  form  of  a  request 
to  the  horticultural  public.  Test  such  matters  as  interest 
you ;  surrender  not  your  judgment  either  to  young  or  old — 
to  the  self-sufBcient  sage  or  the  presumptuous  student — ^but 
ascertain  for  yourselves  who  is  right. 


THE 


PARKS,    PROMENADES, 


AND 


GAEDENS  OF  PAEIS. 


The  city  swims  in  verdare,  beautiful 

As  Venice  on  the  waters,  the  sea-swan. 

What  bosky  gardens  dropped  in  close-walled  courts 

Like  plums  in  ladies*  laps,  who  start  and  laugh ! 

What  miles  of  streets  that  nm  on  after  trees, 

Still  carrying  all  the  necessary  shops. 

Those  open  caskets  with  the  jewels  seen  ! 

And  traae  is  art,  and  art*s  plulosophy, 

In  Paris.  Auboba  Leioh. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    CHAMPS    ELTSEES   AND   THE    GARDENS   OF   THE    LOUVRE 

AND    THE    TUILERIES. 

Lf  not  already  the  brightest,  airiest,  and  most  beautiful  of 
all  cities,  Paris  is  in  a  fair  way  to  become  so ;  and  the 
greatest  part  of  her  beauty  is  due  to  her  gardens  and  her 
trees.  A  city  of  palaces  indeed;  but  which  is  the  most 
attractive — the  view  up  that  splendid  avenue  and  garden 
stretching  from  the  heart  of  the  city  to  the  Arc  dc  Triomphe, 
or  that  of  the  finest  architectural  features  of  Paris  ?  What 
would  the  new  boulevards  of  white  stone  be  without  the 
softening  and  refreshing  aid  of  those  long  lines  of  wcll- 
cared-for  trees  that  everywhere  rise  around  the  buildings, 
helping  them  somewhat  as  the  grass  does  the  buttercups  ? 
The  makers  of  new  Paris — who  deserve  the  thanks  of  the 
inhabitants  of  all  the  filthy  cities  of  the  world  for  setting 
such  an  example — answer  these  questions  for  us  by  pulling 
down  close  and  filthy  quarters,  where  the  influences  of  sweet 
air   and  green   trees  were  never  felt,   and  the  sun   could 

B 


2  THE    CHAMPS    ELTSJ^ES. 

scarcely  penetrate,  and  turning  them  into  gems  of  bosky 
verdure  and  sweetness ;  by  piercing  them  with  long  wide 
streets,  flanked  with  lines  of  green  trees ;  and,  in  a  word,  by 
relieving  in  every  possible  direction  man^s  work  in  stone 
with  the  changefiil  and  therefore  everpleasing  beauty  of 
vegetable  life. 

In  Paris,  public  gardening  assumes  an  importance  which 
it  does  not  possess  with  us ;  it  is  not  confined  to  parks  in  one 
end  of  the  town,  and  absent  from  the  places  where  it  is  most 
wanted.  It  follows  the  street  builders  with  trees,  turns  the 
little  squares  into  gardens  unsurpassed  for  good  taste  and 
beauty,  drops  down  graceful  fountains  here  and  there,  and 
margins  them  with  flowers ;  it  presents  to  the  eye  of  the 
poorest  workman  every  charm  of  vegetation;  it  brings  him 
pure  air,  and  aims  directly  and  eflectively  at  the  recrea- 
tion and  benefit  of  the  people.  The  result  is  so  good,  that 
it  is  well  worthy  our  attention.  To  understand  and  discuss 
it  with  advantage  we  cannot  do  better  than  commence  in 
the  Place  dc  la  Concorde,  and  afterwards  walk  up  the  Avenue 
des  Champs  Elysecs,  and  into  the  gardens  of  the  Louvre  and 
the  Tuileries — the  chain  of  gardens  about  here  forming  a 
vast  open  space  in  the  very  heart  of  Paris. 

The  Place  de  la  Concorde  is  not  a  garden,  but  a  noble 
open  space,  admirable  from  its  breadth  and  boldness,  a 
worthy  centre  to  the  fine  streets  and  avenue  that  diverge 
from  it,  embellished  by  fine  fountains  and  some  statues, 
and  with  a  terrible  history.  By  looking  to  the  east  the 
Palace  of  the  Tuileries  may  be  seen  through  the  opening 
made  in  the  wood  of  chestnuts  by  the  central  walk,  and 
to  the  west  is  the  Avenue  des  Champs  Elysecs.  If  the  reader 
who  has  not  visited  Paris  will  suppose  a  wide  pleasure 
ground  flanking  the  lower  part  of  Regent-street,  and 
having  a  grand  tree-bordered  avenue  passing  through  its 
centre  straight  away  to  the  highest  point  of  the  broad  walk 
in  the  Regent's  Park,  and  there  crested  by  an  immense 
triumphal  arch — ^the  largest  in  the  world,  161  feet  high  and 
145  wide — he  may  be  able  to  form  some  idea  of  what  the 
scene  is,  immediately  after  passing  from  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde. 


THE   CHAMPS   ELYS^ES.  3 

The  Ayenne  des  Champs  Elys^es  leads  from  it  straight 
to  the  Arc ;  and  what  it  is  and  how  it  is  laid  out  we  have 
next  to  see.  First  there  is  the  road,  well  macadamized^ 
slightly  convex,  so  level  and  easy  for  horses  that  those  of 
London  could  never  again  find  courage  to  grind  down 
angular  lumps  of  broken  rock  if  they  passed  a  few  weeks 
in  rolling  over  it,  and  nearly  100  feet  wide.  There  is  a  line 
of  horse-chestnuts  and  other  trees  immediately  within  the 
footway  that  borders  this  on  each  side,  and  then  more 
than  fifty  feet  clear — for  the  greater  part  a  gravelled 
walk,  but  with  a  well-laid  footway  of  asphalte  about 
seven  feet  wide  in  the  centre,  which  is  most  agreeable 
to  walk  upon  at  all  times,  and  particularly  in  wet 
weather.  Then  come  four  rows  of  elm  and  chestnut 
trees,  under  them  about  fifty  feet  more  of  gravel  walks — 
the  other  side  of  the  central  avenue  being  laid  out  in  a 
similar  manner. 

Then  commences  the  garden,  which  is  truly  worthy  of  its 
position.  Walking  up  the  avenue  on  the  left  side  we  are 
in  a  wide  and  noble  pleasure-ground,  of  which  the  farther- 
most parts  that  can  be  seen  arc  backed  by  belts  of  slirubs 
and  specimen  trees.  But  what  are  these  little  structures  one 
sees  quite  in  front?  "Well,  simply  neat  little  sheds  for 
gingerbread,  cigars,  and  such  commodities.  To  the  British 
eye  this  kind  of  thing  does  not  seem  in  what  is  called 
"  keeping  /'  but  if  people  will  have  their  cigars  and  ginger- 
bread they  may  as  well  be  sold  to  them  where  they  are 
strolling  or  playing.  Besides,  you  have  in  this  case  got 
the  gingerbread-keepers  under  control,  and  they  look  as 
thoroughly  subdued  and  dutiful  as  the  sergent  de  ville, 
who  is  a  model  of  gravity  and  dutifulness.  Talk  about  the 
gaiety  of  the  French !  Why,  you  never  see  one  of  these 
men  smile,  and  yet  they  look  thoroughly  French.  I  once 
saw  a  London  policeman,  in  sheer  overflow  of  spirits,  and 
probably  slightly  influenced  by  beer,  throw  his  hat  across 
the  street  after  a  cat,  on  a  bright  moonlight  night,  and 
then  laugh  at  the  fun  of  it ;  but  who  ever  saw  so  much 
hilarity  or  want  of  dignity  as  that  in  a  Parisian  policeman  ? 
They,  however,  are   a  thoroughly  eflBcient  set  of  men — 

B  2 


4  THE   CHAMPS    ELYSl^ES. 

earnest  and  alert  in  duty^  and  apparently  witli  many  shades 
more  of  self-respect  than  their  London  brethren.  They  keep 
the  strictest  order  in  these  public  gardens,  the  whole  of 
which  are  as  open  and  unprotected  by  fencing  as  the  beds 
on  the  lawn  of  a  country  seat.  There  are  no  railing's 
higher  than  six  inches ;  and  yet  no  flowers  at  Kew  or  the 
Crystal  Palace  are  more  valuable  than  these  suflSce  to 
protect  day  and  night.  No  doubt  this  results  to  some 
extent  from  the  prompt  measures  of  the  grave  policemen 
when  occasions  for  their  interference  do  occur.  It  is  in- 
structive and  amusing  to  reflect  that  some  years  ago, 
when  it  was  first  proposed  to  green  the  heart  of  Paris 
with  such  beautiful  open  gardens  as  this,  most  ^vise  French 
people  considered  it  a  foolish  idea,  saying :  '^  Squares,  &c., 
are  possible  in  London,  but  not  in  the  midst  of  our  rough 
excitable  people  V^ 

Most  of  the  stems  of  the  trees  are  covered  with  ivy ;  the 
wide  belts  of  varied  shrubs  are  encircled  with  the  choicest 
flowers ;  the  grass,  cver-welcomest  of  carpets,  spreads  out 
widely  here  and  there ;  great  clumps  of  Rhododendrons  and 
trees  shroud  buildings,  not  completely  to  hide  them,  but  to 
prevent  them  from  staring  forth  nakedly  in  the  midst  of 
the  quiet  sweetness  of  the  garden.  These  buildings  are 
chiefly  for  concerts,  cafes,  &c.,  and  presently  we  come  to  a 
restaurant  very  agreeably  situated.  The  plan  of  having 
restaurants  in  like  places  might  be  extended  to  London 
with  great  advantage — in  such  places  as  Kew  or  any  of  our 
great  parks  or  gardens.  Some  captious  individuals  may 
object  to  such  places  being  turned  into  tea-gardens ; 
but  tea-gardens  must  exist  somewhere,  and  why  not  have 
them  respectably  conducted  imder  control,  and  well 
arranged  to  meet  the  public  wants?  By  so  doing  you 
might  prevent  the  people  from  resorting  to  musty,  and 
perhaps  not  very  elevating,  eating  and  drinking-places,  and 
perhaps  take  from  the  charms  of  the  lower  type  of  music- 
hall  entertainments  now  not  considered  so  edifying  as 
popular.  On  first  consideration,  the  introduction  of  com- 
fortable restaurants  in  a  place  like  Kew  might  seem  to 
interfere  with  the  quietness,  which  is  one  of  the  best  features 


THE    CHAMPS   KLTSEES. 


of  like  places ;  but  it  need  not  be  so.  There  is  no  need  for 
placing  them  in  competition  with  the  glass-houses^  or  along 
a  main  walk^  or  in  any  position  where  they  may  in  the 
least  interfere  with  the  beauty  and  peace  of  the  scene. 
They  might  be  placed  in  isolated  yet  easily  accessible  spots^ 
shrouded  with  trees  and  shrubs  from  the  garden  or  park^ 
yet.  commanding  peeps  of  it  here  and  there ;  they  might 
have  naturally  disposed  groups  of  low  spreading  trees  near 
them^  under  which  people  could  sit  to  dine^  or  take  tea  in 
the  summer  months;  they  might  have  open-sided  bowers 
with  zinc  roofs,  the  pillars  supporting  them  being  draped 
with  Virginian  creepers,  flowering  roses,  and  the  like,  and 
the  roofs  also  densely  covered  with  them.  They  would  have 
all  the  attractiveness  of  open  trellis-work  creeper-clad 
bowers,  and  .be  at  the  same  time  quite  impervious  to 
showers. 

As  we  proceed,  fountains,  weeping  willows,  and  not  less 
beautiful  weeping  Sophoras  are  seen,  and  so  many  isolated 
specimens  of  the  noblest  trees  and  plants,  such  as  Welling- 
tonia,  pampas  grass,  line-foliaged  plants,  &c.,  that  we  must 
not  mention  them  all ;  but  arriving  at  the  Palace  of  Industry, 
we  make  a  considerable  detour  to  the  left  to  see  a  garden 
devoted  to  music — the  Concert  of  the  Champs  Elysees,  con- 
ducted by  Musard.  I  draw  attention  to  this  to  show  that 
it  is  possible  to  introduce  amusements  into  our  public 
gardens  without  originating  anything  like  the  Jardin  Bullier 
or  Cremorne.  I  know  of  no  place  more  creditably  con- 
ducted than  this,  and  any  of  the  many  English  who  have 
spent  a  summer  evening  in  it  will  be  of  the  same  opinion. 
It  is  as  quiet  and  free  from  objectionable  features  as  a 
flower-show  in  the  Regent^s  Park,  and  very  tastefully  ar- 
ranged. In  the  centre  a  band-stand,  around  it  a  bed  of 
flowers,  then  about  ninety  feet  of  gravel  planted  with  circles 
of  trees.  Between  each  two  of  the  outer  line  of  horse- 
chestnuts  there  13  a  lamp-post  with  seven  lights,  standing  in 
a  mass  of  flowers.  Between  this  and  the  enclosing  fence 
there  are  belts  of  grass,  trees,  and  of  the  choicest  shrubs ; 
in  one  part  a  little  lawn  with  its  cedars  and  maiden-hair 
trees,  bamboos,  Irish  yews,  ivy-clad  stems,  and  flower-beds ; 


6  THE   CHAMPS   ELTS^ES. 

in  another  spot  n  noble  group  of  Indian-shot  plants,  with 
bronzy,  finely-formed  leaves  j  an  equally  telling  one  of  the 
great  edible  Caladium  springing  from  among  mignonette ; 
here  a  pampas  grass,  there  a  broad-leaved  Acanthus,  with  a 
mass  of  the  handsome  Chinese  rice<paper  plant  in  the  distance. 
In  its  design  and  management  it  is  aa  different  from  the 
Cremome  type  as  could  be  desired.  To  compare  it  with 
the  places  where  the  stupid  and  ugly  cancan  is  performed, 
and  of  which  there  are  specimens  near  at  hand,  is  quite  out 
of  the  question.     How  the  yoimg  men  of  France,  so  ready 


Evening  Concert  in  Ibe  C'linmps  Elj'nicii. 


to  detect  the  b6te  iu  others,  can  go  night  after  night  to  see 
this  performed,  is  beyond  comprehension.  I  see  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  have  places  managed  as  is  this  evening 
concert-garden,  even  if  it  were  only  to  counteract  the  evil 
influences  of  the  numerous  jilaces  which  cater  simply 
for  the  lowest  tastes.  In  any  case  this  garden  will  repay 
a  visit  to  those  who  take  interest  iu  these  matters.  ^^cUi^i 
It  was  only  in  1860  that  the  garden  of  the  Champs 
Elys^es  was  laid  out,  and  yet  it  looks  an  ancient  aifair,  has 
many  respectable  specimens  of  conifers,  Magnolias,  &c.. 


J  1      '     r 

pPf-.^ 

r  '"     'Mi 

^^■ 

^k. 

IL'^'  '■' 

M'-         .:."^^LI 

THE   CHAMPS   ELT&^S.  7 

nnmexoiu  lai^  and  well-made  banks  and  beds  of  Rliodo* 
dendrons.  Azaleas,  hollies,  and  the  best  shrubs  and  trees 
generally,  with  abundant  Toom  for  planting  anmmer  flowers, 
chiefly,  howerer,  as  margins  to  the  clumps  of  shrubs.  The 
gardens  end  at  the  Bond  Point,  a  circular  open  space, 
in  vhich  there  are  lai^e  beds  for  flowers,  fountains, 
frc.,  disfigured,  however,  by  the  undulations  Tvhich  some 
poor  little  bits  of  grass  are  made  to  assume.  Useless  and 
mmatural  diversification  of  the  ground  in  some  small  spaces^ 
and  the  lumping  together  of  too  many  things  in  one  mass, 
are  the  weak  points  in  the  gardening  of  Paris.  Above  tluB 
Bond  Point,  a  very  wide  footway  of  about  sixty  feet,  shaded 
by  two  rows  of  trees,  divides  the  avenue  from  the  hoosea 
which  here  approach  its  sides.  Instead  of  following  the 
arenne  np  towards  the  Arc  side  we  stop  at  the  Rond  Point, 
glance  at  the  masses  of  Hibiscus,  Caladium,  and  Papyrus  of 
the  Nile  which  embellish  it,  and  then  descend  the  garden 
by  the  side  of  the  Rue  du  Fauboui^  St.  Honore. 

Here   we   presently   meet   with   a   circus,  a  neat  little 

Fin.  2. 


Circiu  ia  the  Gardons  of  tbo  CbampB  EljBuei. 

theatre,  concert  halls.  Sec.,  all  dropped  down  in  the  quietest 
way  amidst  the  choicest  trees  ^and  flowers,  and  many  veri- 


8  THE   CBAHFS   ELTS^tS. 

table  permauentlj  establislied  Fanch  and  Judy  shows  !  I 
hope  tbis  will  ebock  no  well  reflated  mind.  They  are 
not  like  fugitive  exbibitions  tolerated  at  tbe  end  of  obscure 
streets  branching  off  from  the  Strand  or  Oidbrd-street,  but 
have  rights  as  ffell-established  as  those  of  the  Opera.  If 
we  consider  wb:it  a  perennial  source  of  amusement  this 
Punch  and  Judy  fun  has  been  for  children,  perhaps  it 
deserves  a  place  as  well  as  other  more  fashionable  amuse- 
ments. And  then  we  have  revolving  circuses,  on  which 
the  children  of  the  period  take  their  choice  to  ride  on 
elephant  or  steed,  various  kinds  of  juvenile  amusements, 
cafes,  summer  music  halU,  dahlia  beds,  fountains,  Abys- 
sinian musas,  and  too  many  similar  objects  to  enumerate. 
On  fine  days  the  wide  tree-shaded  walks  are  crowded  with 
pedestrians ;  all  the  little  games  are  in  full  swing,  and 
though  it  may  seem  a  qtieer  jumble  to  many,  the  whole 
thing  is  as  orderly  as  could  be  wished. 

At  the  top  of  the  long  avenue,  the  great  arch  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  immense  circular  Place,  from  which  straight 
boulevards  and  avenues  radiate  in  all  directions.  The 
guide-books  advise  the  visitor  to  !faris  to  see  the  lamps  lit 
at  night  in  the  Champs  Elysees,  but  if  he  should  want  to 
see  the  finest  effect  of  that  kind,  he  must  go  to  this  arch 
on  a  dark  night,  and  standing  in  tbe  centre  look  at  their 
effect  in  the  long  wide  avenues,  which  fall  from  where  he 
stands,  and  afterwards  walk  around 
its  base  to  sec  them  better  still.  The 
I  H^^H^  whole  scene  here  is  magnificent,  and 
I  ^^BBp  if  Paris  had  nothing  worth  seeing  hut 
I  ^|nflS,  ^bat  may  be  seen  from  hence,  it 
msBt^SM  would  well  repay  a  visit  to  all  persons 
^^^/§  interested   in   the   improvements    of 

PH^  towns  and  cities. 
3B^kI  "^^  ^iace  de  I'Etoile,  with  itssuj- 
^|9Bh'  roundings,  is  precisely  the  reverse  of 
!,_^-  I-l^""S; ,  our  own  efforts  in  like  positions — its 
,  ,  ,  '  breadth,  dignity,  and  airiness  con- 
Avennee  and  bouicTarilB  ra-    .         .  .   -T  ■      i  -  i      .. 

dUting  riom  iho  Place  da  trastiog  strikingly  With  the  narrow- 
rEtoile.  nesSj  meanness,  and  closeness  of  the 


GABSBNS    OF    TUE    LODVRE   AND   THE    TUTLERIKS.       V 

best  attempts  in  our  so  Tciy  mncli  lai^r  and  busier 
London. 

The  Gardens  of  the  Louvre  and  the  Tutleries. 

The  Place  du  Carrousel,  stretching  between  the  Palaces  of 
the  Louvre  and  the  Tuileries,  is  a  large  open  paved  square 
by  no  means  attractive,  hut  at  its  eastern  end  it  merges  into 
the  narrower  Place  Napoleon  III.,  to  which  I  wish  more  par- 
ticularly to  direct  attention.  The  Kace  is  inclosed  on  three 
sides  by  the  splendid  buildings  of  the  new  Louvre,  and  is 
embellished  with  two  little  gardens  surrounded  by  railings 
with  gilt  spears.  The  Place  du  Carrousel,  surrounded  by 
Palaces,  is  perfectly  bare  and  without  ornament,  except  the 
triumphal  arch  that  stands  at 
the  main  entrance  of  the  court 
of  the  Tuileries,  but  looking  to- 
wards the  Louvre  the  eye  is  in- 
stantly refreshed  by  these  little 
gardens,  veritable  oases  in  a  wil- 
derness of  paving  stone.  I  know 
of  no  spot  more  capable  of  teach- 
ing some  of  the  most  valuable  les- 
sons in  city-gardening  than  this. 
Viewed  externally  from  their 
immediate  surroundings,  or  from  , 
the  more  distant  Tuileries  square, 

the  gardens  have  a  verv  pretty 

_     ,  ,      ,  .       '  .       L  Arc  do  Tnumubc  du  Carroasel, 

effect,    and    show    at    once    the 

utility  of  such,  not  only  for  their  own  sakes,  but  also  as  an 
aid  to  architecture.  On  the  one  hand  you  have  a  space 
as  devoid  of  vegetation  as  the  desert — on  the  other  by 
the  creation  of  the  simplest  types  of  garden,  you  relieve 
the  sculptor'a  work  in  stone  and  the  changeless  lines  of  the 
great  buildings  by  the  living  grace  of  vegetation,  so  as  to 
make  the  scene  of  the  most  refreshing  kind,  and  all  by 
merely  encroaching  a  little  on  the  space  that  would  other- 
wise be  monopolized  by  paring  stones.  The  gardens  are 
very  small  and  most  simple  in  plan,  a  circle  of  grass,  a 
walk,  and   a  belt  of  hardy  trees   and  shrubs  around  the 


10      OAEDKNS  OF  THE  LOUVRE  AND  THE  TUILERIES. 

whole,  and   an   edging    of  ivy.     No  gaudy    colouring  of 
F.a.  5.  *^«  gnjund-no  expensive  temporary 

I,  decoration  with  tender  costly  flowers, 

V^jj^  ^    but  eyerything  as  green  and  quiet  as 

could   be    desired.     There    are    four 
outlets  always  open,  so  that  visitors 
can  go  in  and  view  the  little  gardens 
and  the  rich  pavilions  riising  behind 
^mm^g^^    ^     their  small  but  sufficient  foregrounds 
^^IKSHolS^        of  verdure. 
Gronnd  plan  of  the  small       ^t  is  quite  commou  amongst  land- 
^"^^1^  TTT  ^^   ^^^^  scape  gardeners  and  others  to  lay  down 

as  a  sort  of  law,  that  when  we  make 
a  garden  very  near  to  any  kind  of  ornamental  building  it  is 
above  all  things  necessary  to  make  it  "  associate^^  with  them 
— ^to  carry  the  lines  of  the  building  as  much  as  possible  into 
the  garden,  to  make  it  as  angular,  and  it  may  be,  as  brick- 
dusty  as  possible,  like  some  recent  examples  with  us ;  but 
these  gardens  prove  the  fallacy  of  this  reasoning  as  regards 
city  gardens  and  open  spaces.  There  are  numbers  of  men 
professing  taste  in  designing  gardens  who  would  never  think 
of  putting  anything  in  this  position,  surrounded  as  it  is,  but 
some  miserable  prettinesses,  expensive  gewgaws  in  the  way  of 
trees  in  tubs,  squirting  water,  vases,  coloured  broken  gravels, 
&c.  &c.,  things  which  in  their  opinion  would  harmonize 
with  the  work  of  the  architect.  But  from  the  simplest 
materials  the  most  satisfactory  results  may  be  obtained,  as  we 
see  here ;  and  economical  reasons  also  demand  simplicity  and 
permanence  in  all  similar  attempts.  Ten  times  the  amount 
might  be  spent  on  the  space  occupied,  and  perhaps  with  a 
far  less  satisfactory  result,  while  there  would  of  course  be 
so  much  less  force  to  expend  on  the  ventilation  and 
improvement  of  the  many  close  and  sunless  quarters  that 
still  remain.  The  small  patches  of  grass  in  these  gardens 
are  like  that  everywhere  in  Paris,  deep  and  vividly  green, 
and  firesh  at  all  seasons.  They  usually  give  it  a  top  dressing 
of  fine  and  thoroughly  decomposed  manure  in  April,  but  the 
secret  is,  dense  and  repeated  waterings  at  all  seasons  when  the 
natural  rainfall  does  not  serve  to  keep  it  as  fresh  as  June  leaves. 


GARDENS  OF  TU£  LOUVRE  AND  THE  TUILERIES.       11 

Passing  through  the  great  court  of  the  Louvre,  and  out 
on  the  eastern  side,  we  see  the  garden  of  the  Louvre,  which 
is  simply  a  rail-surrounded  space,  laid  out  with  the  usual 
very  green  and  well-kept  grass,  round-headed  bushes  of 
lilac,  ivy  edgings,  evergreen  shrubs  here  and  there,  flowers 
at  all  seasons,  and  the  best,  cheapest,  prettiest,  and  most 
lasting  edgings  in  use  in  any  garden,  made  of  cast-iron  in 
imitation  of  bent  sticks.  Much  of  this  garden  was  once 
covered  with  old  buildings  and  streets — even  the  great 
square  just  spoken  of  was  once  packed  with  alleys ;  but  the 
recent  improvements  of  Paris  have  swept  all  those  things 
away,  and  on  every  side  the  buildings  stand  as  free  as  could 
be  desired — unlike  our  London  ones,  some  of  which  can 
hardly  be  discovered,  and  which  when  they  have  an  enclosed 
space  aroimd  them,  it  is  merely  a  receptacle  for  dead  cats, 
&c.  Against  the  waUs  of  the  palace  numerous  seats  are 
placed,  and  the  gardens,  though  not  large,  offer  a  very 
agreeable  retreat  at  all  seasons ;  for  even  during  the  colder 
months  the  old  men  and  invalids  improve  the  shining  hours 
by  gathering  on  the  seats  close  imder  the  great  walls  when 
the  sun  is  out. 

The  main  feature  of  the  flower  gardening  here  is  a  modi- 
fication of  the  mixed  border  system,  pretty,  and  also  capable 
of  infinite  change.  It  is  a  combination  of  circle,  and  mix- 
ture, and  ribbon,  quite  unpractised  with  us.  Along  the 
middle  of  the  borders  we  have  a  line  of  permanent  and 
rather  large-growing  things — ^roses,  dahlias,  neat  bushes  of 
Althsea  frutex,  and  small  Persian  lilacs.  Tlie  lilacs  might 
be  thought  to  grow  too  gross  for  such  a  position,  but  by 
cutting  them  in  to  the  heart  as  soon  as  they  have  done 
flowering  the  bedding  plants  start  with  them  on  equal 
terms,  and  the  lilacs  do  not  hurt  them  by  pushing  out  again, 
and  make  neat  round  heads  prepared  to  bloom  well  again 
the  following  spring.  Thus  they  have  along  the  centre  of 
each  border  a  line  of  green  and  pointed  subjects,  which 
always  save  it  from  over-colouring,  and  then  underneath 
they  lay  on  the  tones  as  thick  as  need  be.  Around  each  bush 
or  tall  plant  in  these  borders  are  placed  rings  of  bedding 
plants — Fuchsia,  Veronica,   Heliotropum,  Chrysanthemum 


12 


GARDENS  OF  THE  LOUVRE  AND  THE  TDILEEIES. 


grandifloniDij  and  foenicnlaceam,  the  outer  spaces  be- 
tween the  TiDgs  being  filled  with  plants  of  other  sorts. 
Then  follows  a  straight  line  of  Pelargoniums — scarlet,  white, 
And  rose  mixed  plant  for  plant,  and  forming  a  very  pretty 
line.  Outside  of  that  a  band  of  Irish  ivy,  pegged  close  to 
the  earth,  and  pinched  two  or  three  times  a  year ;  and 
finally,  on  the  walk  side,  an  edging  of  the  rustic  irons  else- 
where described. 

As  soon  as  they  get  beyond  the  very  primitive  idea,  that 
because  one  border  is  of  a  certain  pattern  the  others  ought 
to  follow  it,  this  will  be  found  a  really  good  plan,  and  it  is 
worth  attention  with  us ;  by  ita  means  we  may  enjoy  great 
variety  in  a  border  without  any  of  the  raggedneas  of  the 
old  mixed  border  system.  Around  most  of  the  rose  trees 
they  place  a  small  ring  of  gladioli — a  good  plan  where  the 
plant  grows  well.  Any  person  with  a  knowledge  of  bedding 
plants  may  vary  this  plan  ad  infinitum,  and  produce  a  most 
happy  result  with  it  wherever  borders  have  to  be  dealt  with. 
Let  us  next  go  to  the  west  end  of  the  p.alacea  to  see  the 
gardens  of  the  Tuilcries,  which  stretch  from  the  western 
face  of  that  palace  to  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde,  bounded 
on  one  side  by  the  Rue  de 
Rivoli,  on  the  other  by  the 
river.  Being  nearly  in  the 
centre  of  Paris  these  gardens 
are  as  frequented  as  any.  The 
garden  is  very  large,  and  laid 
out  in  the  plain  geometrical 
style  by  Le  Notre,  with  wide 
straight  walks,  borders  round 
grass  plots  dotted  with  little 
lilac  bushes,  and  flowers  below 
them.  About  one-fourth  of  it 
near  the  palace  is  cut  off  for  the 
Emperor's  private  use,  but  this 
part  is  merely  divided  from  the 
public  one  by  a  sunk  fence  and 
low  railing,  so  that   the  view 


GARDENS  OF  THE  LOUVRE  AND  THE  TUILERIES.   13 

of  the  private  garden  is  enjoyed  by  all.  In  it  they 
simply  plant  good  evergreens  and  plenty  of  deciduous 
flowering  shrubs^  while  the  grass  plots  are  belted  by  borders^ 
one  of  which  runsiright  along  under  the  palace  windows  with 
the  usual  round  bushes  of  lUac ;  but  these  borders  are  kept 
pretty  gay  all  the  year  round.  The  private  garden  of  the 
Emperor  is  quite  open  to  the  public  when  he  is  not  at  the 
Toileries.  It  is  well  worth  visiting  shoidd  an  opportunity 
occur^  if  only  to  see  the  way  the  ivy  edgings  are  used. 
There  are  no  beds,  only  borders — these  touching  the  gravel 
walk,  and  being  edged  with  box.  Then  on  the  bright  gravel 
itself,  or  apparently  so,  they  lay  down  a  beautiful  dark 
green  band  of  ivy,  of  course  allowing  in  the  laying  down  of 
the  walk  for  the  space  .thus  occupied.  The  effect  of  the 
rich  green  band  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  borders. 
The  mode  of  making  them  is  elsewhere  described.  The 
flowers  are  kept  a  good  deal  subdued,  and  some  trouble  is 
taken  to  develope  the  shrubs  and  stronger  vegetation  dis- 
tinctly and  well.  The  effect  is  very  good  firom  the  windows 
and  the  interior.  Cannas  are  used  to  produce  a  very 
charming  effect  in  mixed  borders,  and  altogether  this  por- 
tion is  tastefully  and  inexpensively  planted.  It  is  noticeable 
that  hardy  shrubs  and  trees  predominate — I  believe,  by  the 
Emperor^s  wish — and  that,  instead  of  the  usual  crowding, 
care  is  taken  to  give  even  the  commonest  kinds  room  to 
grow  and  become  respectable  specimens. 

A  very  wide  walk  crosses  the  garden  just  outside  the 
private  division ;  at  about  its  centre  are  a  large  basin  and 
fountain,  from  which  another  wide  walk  goes  straight  to- 
wards the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  and  by  looking  in  that 
direction  we  see  the  whole  length  of  the  magnificent  Avenue 
des  Champs  Elysees,  terminated  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  by 
the  Arc  de  Triomphe.  This  walk  cuts  the  garden  into  two 
portions  chiefly  planted  with  chestnuts  and  other  forest 
trees,  which  have  not  been  suflScientiy  thinned,  but  are 
allowed  to  run  up  very  tall,  and  thus  afford  a  high  arched 
shade  in  summer,  the  ground  being  gravelled  underneath, 
so  that  it  is  comfortable  to  walk  or  play  upon.  There  is  a 
alight  narrow  terrace  on  both  sides,  an  orangery,  the  con- 


14      QAKDEHS  OP  THE  LOCVKE  AND  THE  TVn.ERlES. 

tents  of  which  are  placed  out  in  summer,  an  alley  arched 
over  with  lime  trees  by  the  side  of  the  Rue  de  Bivolij  and 
at  the  western  end  there  are  terraces  which  aflbrd  a  capital 
view  of  the  bright  and  busy  scene  around  and  the  noble 
avenue  towards  the  west.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  sculp- 
ture, both  copies  of  celebrated  works  and  original  ones, 
but  as  for  fresh  horticultural  interest  there  is  little  or  none 
to  be  seen ;  and  a  passing  glance  is  all  the  visitor  need  be- 
stow on  the  public  part  of  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries, 
though  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that  its  general  effect  is  very 


Tbo  Rhone  and  Iho  Sftone,  liy  G.  Couatou,  in  tbo  Tiiilcrii-s  Ganli 


good,  and  that  it  in  all  respects  answers  its  purpose  as  a  play 
and  promenading  ground  and  a  "  lung  "  to  the  city. 

A  few  words  must  be  devoted  to  those  long  lines  of  large 
orange  trees  in  tubs — they  are  so  very  conspicuons  that 
they  force  themselves  upon  our  attention.  There  are  many 
ignorant  and  hopeless  ways  of  spending  money  iu  gardens, 
but  few  more  ao  than  this,^ — indeed  it  is  one  of  the  moat  fami- 
liar instances  of  unworthy  outlay  that  is  known.  Consider 
for  a  moment  the  enormous  expense  incurred  by  those  lines 
of  finely-grown  old  orange  trees  in  the  gardens  of  the 
TuilerieSj  at  Versaillesj  the  Luxembourg,  and  in  other  gar- 


GABDKH8  OF  THE  IXIUVRE  AND  THE  TUILBRIE8.      15 


dena,  public  and  private  I  Every  one  of  them  has  cost 
more  to  rear  to  a  condition  that  is  presentable  than  the 
education  of  a  surgeon  or  barrister,  and  all  in  order  to  pro- 
duce a  deep  round  tuft  of  not  very  healthy  green  leaves  at 
the  end  of  a  black  stem  seven  feet  high  or  thereabouts. 
Coetly  tubs  that  rot  periodically ;  costiy  storing  in  iai^ 
conservatories  in  winter;  costly 
carriage    &om    the    house    to  ^"J-  ^■ 

open  garden,  and  from  open  gar- 
den to  house,  and  all  to  no  good 
purpose  whatever.  The  foliage 
differs  not  at  all,  or  in  but  a 
trifling  degree,  from  evergreens 
common  in  our  shrubberies ; 
the  clipped  head  of  green  is  far 
inferior  to  that  afforded  by  the 
hardy  and  elegant  spineless  Ro- 
binia,  the  flowers  are  few  or 
none,  the  whole  thing  is  a  relic 
of  barbarism,  and  as  such  should 
be  excluded  from  the  tasteful 
and  well-arranged  garden.  The 
kind  of  effect  they  produce  is 
afforded  in  a  far  higher  degree 
by  perfectly  hardy  subjects. 

But  an  orange  ia  an  orange  :  and  sui)pose  we  wish  to 
have  a  little  grove  of  tlicm  ?  Then  make  the  grove  at  once, 
and,  by  planting  them  in  an  elegant  conservatory,  grow 
them  ten  times  as  well  and  ten  times  as  cheaply  as  you  can 
by  this  absurd  process  of  carrying  in  and  out,  and  never 
withal  seeing  them  in  good  condition.  What  a  potato  is 
without  tubers,  an  orange  is  minus  flowers  and  fruit.  By 
planting  them  in  a  conservatory  you  may  enjoy  all  the 
beauty  of  leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit — by  carrying  out  of 
doors,  hoping  thereby  to  embellish  what  you  only  disfigure, 
you  enjoy  nothing  but  imperfectly  healthy  leaves.  Tlie 
conservatory  must  exist  to  hold  them  in  any  case,  and  one 
only  big  enough  to  contain,  say  half  those  in  this  garden, 
would,  if  planted   with  orange  trees,  aflbrd  the  Parisians 


]  in  the  Tuilcriea  Gardens. 


16      GARDENS  OF  THE  L0I3VRE  AND  THE  TUILEBBSS. 

more  gratification  by  showing  them  what  orange  trees  really 
are^  than  all  they  have  ever  enjoyed  through  the  vast  sums 
that  have  been  spent  upon  orange  trees  for  several  hundred 
years  past.  They  were  all  very  well  in  an  age  when  exotics^ 
and  above  all  such  attractive  exotics  as  the  orange^  were 
rare^  and  when  good  glass-houses  were  unknown^  and  bad 
ones  impossibly  dear ;  but  now^  when  we  have  thousands  of 
choice  exotics  grown  in  perfection  everywhere  around  us,  the 
present  condition  of  these  fine  old  trees  should  not  be  tole- 
rated. They  should  be  planted  out  in  a  conservatory 
worthy  of  the  city,  or  be  done  away  with. 

There  are,  however,  some  circumstances  in  which  the 
culture  of  plants  in  tubs  for  placing  in  the  open  air  in 
summer  may  not  only  be  tolerable,  but  desirable.  At 
(Geneva  I  once  saw,  opposite  a  restaurant,  the  finest  specimen 
of  the  fragrant  Pittosporum  Tobira  that  I  ever  met  with, 
and  was  informed  it  had  been  in  a  cellar  all  the  winter. 
Such  as  the  orange  trees  are,  however,  they  have  admirers, 
most  of  whom  believe  that  they  cannot  be  grown  to  such  per- 
fection by  the  same  method  in  England.  This  is  not  the 
case :  the  method  pursued  in  northern  France  (which  is 
described  in  another  chapter)  will  succeed  almost  equally 
well  in  the  south  of  England  and  Ireland. 

Let  us  wait  a  moment  to  look  at  these  people  feeding  the 
birds,  so  much  to  their  own  amusement  and  also  that  of  the 
lookers-on.  It  is  a  pretty  sight,  and  seems  to  afford  great 
pleasure  to  many  people,  and  doubtless  much  more  to  the 
successful  feeders.  It  is  quite  a  little  scene  in  the  gardens 
every  day,  and  on  fine  days  it  attracts  numbers  of  people, 
though  it  is  an  every-day  occurrence  there.  The  Jardin  des 
Tuileries  is  inhabited  by  a  great  number  of  the  common 
ringdove,  or  "  quesf^ — those  wild  pigeons  which  in 
Britain  and  elsewhere,  when  in  a  wild  state,  flash  away  from 
man  like  an  arrow  from  the  bow.  In  these  and  other 
gardens  in  Paris  they  seem  perfectly  at  home,  and  perch  at 
ease  in  the  trees  over  the  heads  of  the  multitudes  of  children 
who  play,  and  of  people  who  walk  on  fine  days.  Their  in- 
timacy does  not  extend  further,  except  with  their  friends 
who  come  to  feed  them  now  and  then.     Here  is  an  instance. 


GARDENS  OF  THE  LOUVRE  AND  THE  TUILERIES.   17 

A  man,  evidently  a  respectable  mechanic,  comes  to  a 
certain  spot,  near  the  private  garden  of  the  Emperor. 
Presently  some  of  the  pigeons  fly  to  their  friend.  He  is 
an  old  acquaintance,  and  a  bird  alighting  on  his  left  arm  gets 
a  morsel  of  bread  to  begin  with ;  others  follow.  He  has 
previously  put  a  few  crumbs  of  bread  into  his  mouth,  of 
which  the  birds  are  well  aware,  and,  arching  their  exqui- 
sitely graceful  necks,  they  put  their  bills  between  his  lips 
and  take  out  a  bit  turn  about.  Perhaps  one  alights  on  his 
head,  and  he  may  accommodate  two  or  three  on  his  right 
arm.  There  are  others  perched  on  the  railings  near  at 
hand,  and  they  come  in  for  their  turn  by-and-by.  A  dense 
ring  of  people  stand  a  few  yards  off,  looking  on,  especially 
if  it  be  a  fine  day,  but  they  must  not  frighten  the  birds, 
and  this  persistent  feeder  looks  daggers  at  a  small  boy  who 
allows  an  audible  yell  of  delight  to  escape.  Presently  the 
sparrows  gather  roimd  the  feeder^s  feet,  and  pick  up  any 
crombs  that  may  fall  while  he  is  transferring  the  bread 
from  his  pocket  to  his  mouth.  The  sparrows,  sagacious 
creatures,  do  not  as  a  rule  light  upon  the  arm,  and  never 
even  think  of  putting  their  heads  in  the  mouth  of  the  man, 
but  flutter  gently  so  as  to  poise  themselves  in  one  spot 
about  fifteen  inches  or  so  from  the  hand  of  the  feeder. 
He  throws  up  bits  among  them,  and  they  invariably  catch 
them  with  slight  deviation  from  their  fluttering  position,  or 
at  most  with  a  little  curl.  Sometimes  the  sparrows  pluckily 
alight  on  the  hand,  and  root  out  crumbs  held  between 
the  finger  and  thumb,  but  this  only  in  the  case  of  very 
old  friends. 


c 


18 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    BOIS    DE    BOULOGNE    AND    THE    BOIS    DE   VINCENNES. 

The  Bois  de  Boulogne. 

This  park  illustrates  how  we  improve  by  friction,  so  to 
speak.  Till  1852  the  Bois  was  a  forest ;  but  Napoleon  III., 
in  his  admiration  for  English  parks,  determined  to  add  their 
charms  to  Paris,  or  rather  to  improve  upon  them,  and  the 
Bois  is  one  result.  In  concert  i;\'ith  the  municipality,  the 
Emperor  dug  out  the  lakes,  and  made  the  waterfalls.  As 
a  combination  of  wild  wood  and  noble  pleasure  garden,  it  is 
magnificent.  The  deer  are  placed  in  an  enclosed  space. 
The  Bois  is  splendid  too  as  regards  size — containing  more 
than  2000  acres,  of  which  nearly  half  is  wood,  a  quarter 
grass,  one-eighth  roads,  and  more  than  seventy  acres 
water.  Though  with  large  expectations  in  other  directions, 
the  reader  will  hardly  be  prepared  for  the  statement  that 
the  French  beat  us  in  parks.  When  first  entered  this  may 
not  be  much  liked,  the  numerous  Scotch  pines  around  one 
part  of  the  water  giving  it  a  somewhat  barren  look,  but  a 
few  miles'  walk  through  it  soon  dispels  this  idea.  It  has 
more  than  the  beauty  and  finish  of  any  London  park  in 
some  spots,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  vast  spreads  of  it  are 
covered  with  a  thick,  small,  and  somewhat  scrub-like  wood, 
in  which  wild  flowers  grow  abundantly,  unlike  the  prim 
London  parks.  There  are  plenty  of  wild  cowslips  dotted 
over  even  the  best  kept  parts  of  it  in  spring,  while  the 
planting  on  and  near  the  islands  is  far  superior  to  anything 
to  be  witnessed  in  our  own  parks.  To  see  what  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne  really  is,  the  visitor  should  keep  to  the  left  when 
he  enters  from  Passy  or  the  Arc  de  Triomphe,  and  go  right 
to  the  end  of  the  two  pieces  of  ornamental  water.  Then, 
standing  with  his  back  to   the   water,  he  will  notice  an 


I  ,'  11^ 


THE  BOIS  DE  BOULOGNE.  Id 

elevated  spot,  and  by  going  to  that  spot  he  will  enjoy  one 
of  the  finest  views  he  has  ever  seen  in  a  public  park — the 
■water  in  one  direction  looking  like  an  interminable  inletj 
beautifully  fringed  with  green  and  trees,  irhile  in  the  other 
several  charming  views  are  opened  up,  showing  the  hilly 
suburban  country  towards  Boulogae,  St,  Cloud,  and  that 
neighbourhood.  Then,  by  turning  to  the  right  and  returning 
to  Paris  by  the  west  side  of  the  water,  he  will  have  a  pretty 


One  of  tlie  amail  lakes  ia  (he  Uois  i]c  Boulogne. 

good  idea  of  what  a  noble  promenade,  drive,  and  garden 
this  is. 

It  is  in  all  respects  worthy  of  its  grand  approaches,  of 
the  width  and  boldness  of  which  those  who  have  not  seen 
Paris  can  have  no  conception.  There  is  some  bold  rock- 
work  attempted  and  well  done  about  the  artificial  water; 
and  very  creditable  pains  are  taken  to  make  the  vegetation 
along  it  diversified  in  character,  so  that  at  one  place  you 
meet  conifers,  at  another  rock  shrubs,  in  another  Magnolias, 
and  so  on  ;  without  the  eternal  repetition  of  common  things 
which  one  too  often  sees  at  home.  At  Longchamps,  near 
the  racecourse,  which  attracts  half  Paris  to  this  part  of  the 
wood  on  fine  Sundays,  there  is  a  large  and  ambitious  cas- 


30  THE  BOIS  D£  BOOLOONE. 

cade.  Above  the  spring  or  shoot  of  the  cascade  is  an 
arch  of  rustic  rocks,  over  which  fall  ivy  and  rock  shrubs, 
the  whole  being  hacked  with  a  healthy  rising  plantation. 
Although  made  at  great  expense,  this  cascade  cannot  be 
pronounced  a  happy  one ;  to  me  it  is  less  pleasing  than  the 
less  pretentious  ones  at  the  head  of  the  large  lakes. 

The  fault  of  the  most  frequented  part  of  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne  is  that  the  bauks  which  fall  to  the  water  are  in 
some  parts  a  little  too  suggestive  of  a  railway  embankment, 
and  display  but  little  of  that  indefiniteness  of  gradation  and 


Grand  catcade  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogno. 

outline  which  we  find  in  the  true  examples  of  the  real 
"  English  style  "  of  laying  out  grounds.  But  you  do  not 
notice  this  irom  the  position  above  described,  from  whence 
indeed  the  scene  is  charming.  The  fault  just  hinted  at  is 
common  to  ahnost  every  example  of  this  style  to  be  seen 
about  Paris  ;  and  in  most  of  their  walks,  mounds,  and  the 
turnings  of  their  streams,  you  can  detect  a  family  likeness  and 
a  style  of  curvature  which  is  certainly  never  exhibited  by 
nature,  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with  her  in  these  latitudes. 
But  it  is  only  justice  to  say  that,  taking  the  park  as  a  whole, 
it  is  far  before  our  London  ones  in  point  of  design. 


THE  BOIS  BB  BODLOOKE.  21 

Apart  from  the  perfect  keeping  of  the  wholcj  the  chief 
lesson  to  be  learnt  here  by  the  English  planter  is  the 
Tilne  of  paying  far  greater  attention  than  we  at  present  do 
to  artistic  planting  of  choice  hardy  trees  and  shrubs.  The 
islands  seen  irom  the  margin  of  the  lakes  are  at  all  timea 
beantifiil,  in  conseqaence  of  the  presence  of  a  varied  collec- 
tion of  the  finest  shmbs  and  trees  tastefully  disposed.  They 
show  at  a  glance  the  immense  superiority  of  perinanent 
embellishment  over  fleeting  aooual  display.  The  planting  of 
these   islands  was  expensive   at  first,  and  required  a  good 


Winter  aceQe  on  the  lake  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne- 
knowledge  of  trees  and  shrubs,  besides  a  large  amount  of 
taste  in  the  designer ;  but  it  is  so  done  that  were  the  hand 
of  man  to  be  removed  &om  them  for  half  a  century  they 
would  not  suffer  in  the  least.  Nothing  could  be  easier 
than  to  find  examples  of  gardens  quite  as  costly  in  the  first 
instance,  which,  while  involving  a  yearly  expenditure,  wonld 
be  ruined  by  a  year's  neglect.  It  is  summer,  and  along  the 
mai^ns  of  these  islands  you  see  the  fresh  pyramids  of 
the  decidoons  cypress  starting  from  graceful  surroundings  of 
hardy  bamboos  and  pampas  grass,  and  far  beyond  a  group 
of  bright  silvery  Negundo  in  the  midst  of  dark-green  vegeta- 


22  THE   BOIS   D£   BOULOGNE. 

tion^  with  scores  of  tints  and  types  of  tree-form  around.  It 
is  springs  and  the  whole  scene  is  animated  by  the  cheerful 
flush  of  bloom  of  the  many  shrubs  that  burst  into  blossom 
with  the  strengthening  snn,  and  while  the  oaks  are  yet  leaf- 
less  the  large  swollen  flower-buds  of  the  splendid  deciduous 
Magnolias  may  be  seen  conspicuous  at  long  distances  through 
the  other  trees.  In  autumn  the  variety  and  richness  of  the 
tints  of  the  foliage  offer  a  varied  picture  from  week  to  week ; 
and  in  winter  the  many  picturesque  and  gracefol  forms  of 
the  deciduous  trees  among  the  evergreen  shrubs  and  pines 
offer  the  observant  eye  as  much  interest  as  at  any  other 
season. 

Looking  deeper  than  the  immediate  results,  we  may  see 
how  the  adoption  of  the  system  of  careful  permanent  plant- 
ing enables  us  to  secure  what  I  consider  the  most  important 
point  in  the  whole  art  of  gardening — ^variety,  and  that  of 
the  noblest  kind.  Mr.  Buskin  tells  us  that  ''change  or 
variety  is  as  much  a  necessity  to  the  human  heart  in  build- 
ings as  in  books ;  that  there  is  no  merit,  though  there  is 
some  occasional  use,  in  monotony;  and  that  we  must  no 
more  expect  to  derive  either  pleasure  or  profit  firom  an 
architecture  whose  ornaments  are  of  one  pattern,  and  whose 
pillars  are  of  one  proportion,  than  we  should  out  of  a  uni- 
verse in  which  the  clouds  were  all  of  one  shape  and  the 
trees  all  of  one  size."  These  words  apply  to  public  gardens 
with  even  greater  force.  In  them  we  need  not  be  tied  by 
the  formalism  which  comfort,  convenience,  and  economy 
require  the  architect  to  bear  in  mind,  no  matter  how  widely 
he  diverges  from  the  commonplace  in  general  design.  In 
garden  or  in  park  there  is  practically  no  noticeable  tie ;  in 
buildings  there  are  many.  Vegetation  varies  every  day  in 
the  year.  In  buildings  more  than  on  any  other  things 
unchangeableness  is  stamped.  In  the  tree  and  plant  world 
we  deal  with  things  by  no  means  remotely  allied  to  our- 
selves— their  lives,  from  the  unfolding  bud  to  the  tottering 
trunk,  are  as  the  lives  of  men.  In  the  building  we  deal 
with  things  much  less  mutable,  which  have  a  beginning 
and  ending  like  all  others,  but  their  changes  are  much  less 
apparent  to  our  narrow  vision.      Therefore  the  opportunity 


THE   BOIS   BE   BOULOGNE.  23 

for  yariety  is  beyond  comparison  greater  in  public  or  private 
gardening  than  in  the  building  art^  or  indeed  in  any  other 
art  whatever. 

Without  the  garden^  Lord  Bacon  tells  us^  '^  Buildings 
and  pallaces  are  but  grosse  handy  works :  and  a  man  shall 
ever  see  that  when  ages  grow  to  civility  and  elegancie^  men 
come  to  build  stately  sooner  than  to  garden  finely :  as  if 
gardening  were  the  greater  perfection/'     As  yet  we  are  far 
&om  perfection  as  builders^  and  the  garden  holds  still  the 
relationship  to  the  building  art  which  is  described  by  Bacon. 
Indeed,  it  is  more  backward;  for  in  a  day  when  building 
has  eloquent  champions  to  put  in  some  such  pleas  as  that 
quoted,   and,  moreover,   give  us  practical   illustrations  of 
their  meaning,  we  can  find  no  proof  that  any  knowledge  of 
the  all-important  necessity  for  variety  exists  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  arrange  or  manage  our  gardens,  public  or 
private.     And  yet  this  unrecognised  variety  is  the  life  and 
soul  of  high  gardening.     If  people  generally  could  see  this 
clearly,   it  would  lead  to  the   greatest  improvement   our 
gardening  has  ever  witnessed.     Considering  the  variety  of 
vegetation,  soil,  climate,  and  position  which  we  can  com- 
mand, it  is  impossible  to  doubt  that  our  power  to  produce 
variety  is  unlimited. 

The  necessity  for  it  is  great.  What  is  the  broadly 
marked  bane  of  the  public  as  well  as  private  gardening  of 
the  present '  day  ?  The  want  of  variety.  What  is  it  that 
causes  us  to  take  little  more  interest  in  the  ordinary 
display  of  "bedding  out,^'  fostered  with  so  much  care, 
than  we  do  in  the  bricks  that  go  to  make  up  the  face  of  a 
house  ?  Simply  the  want  of  that  variety  of  beauty  which 
a  walk  along  a  flowery  lane  or  over  a  wild  heath  shows  us 
may  be  aflForded  by  even  the  indigenous  vegetation  of  one 
spot  in  a  northern  and  unfavourable  clime.  But  in  our 
parks  we  can,  if  we  will,  have  an  endless  variety  of  form, 
from  the  fern  to  the  grisly  oak  and  Gothic  pine — inex- 
haustible charms  of  colour  and  fragrance,  from  that  of  the 
little  Alpine  plant  near  the  snows  on  the  great  chains  of 
mountains,  to  the  lilies  of  Japan  and  Siberia.  And  yet 
out  of  all  these  riches  the  fashion  for  a  long  time  has  been 


24  THE   BOIS   BE  BOULOGNE. 

to  select  a  few  kinds  which  have  the  property  of  producing 
dense  masses  of  their  particular  colours  on  the  ground^  to 
the  almost  entire  neglect  of  the  nobler  and  hardier  vegeta- 
tion. The  expense  of  the  present  system  is  greats  and 
must  be  renewed  annually^  while  the  gratification  is  of  the 
poorest  kind.  To  a  person  with  no  perception  of  the  higher 
charms  of  vegetation  the  thing  may  prove  interesting,  and 
to  the  professional  gardener  it  is  often  so ;  but  to  anybody 
of  taste  and  intelligence,  busy  in  this  world  of  beauty  and 
interest,  the  result  attained  by  the  above  method  is  almost 
a  blank.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  numbers  are,  un- 
known to  themselves,  deterred  from  taking  any  interest  in 
the  garden ;  in  fact,  it  is  a  blank  to  them.  They  in  conse- 
quence may  talk  or  boast  of  having  a  "  good  display,''  Sec., 
but  the  satisfaction  from  that  is  very  poor  indeed,  compared 
with  the  real  enjoyment  of  a  garden. 

The  one  thing  we  want  to  do  to  alter  this  is  to  break  the 
chains  of  monotony  with  which  we  are  at  present  bound, 
and  show  the  world  that  the  ^^  purest  of  humane  pleasures'' 
is  for  humanity,  and  not  for  a  class,  and  a  narrow  one. 
Eyes  everywhere  among  us  are  hungering  after  novelty  and 
beauty ;  but  in  our  public  gardens  they  look  for  it  in  vain  as 
a  rule,  for  the  presence  of  a  few  things  that  they  are  already 
as  familiar  with  as  with  the  texture  of  a  gravel  walk,  must 
tend  to  impress  them  with  an  opinion  that  our  art  is  the  most 
inane  of  all.  In  books  they  everywhere  find  variety,  and 
some  interest,  if  high  merit  is  rare ;  the  same  is  the  case  in 
painting,  in  sculpture,  in  music,  and  indeed  in  all  the  arts ; 
but  in  that  which  should  possess  it  more  than  any  other, 
and  is  more  capable  of  it  than  any  other,  there  is  as  a  rule 
none  to  be  found.  This  is  not  merely  the  case  with  the 
flower-garden  and  its  adjuncts ;  it  prevails  in  wood,  grove, 
shrubbery,  and  in  everything  connected  with  the  garden. 
What  attempt  is  made  in  our  parks  and  pleasure  grounds  to 
give  an  idea  of  the  rich  beauty  of  which  our  hardy  trees  are 
capable,  although  these  places  afibrd  the  fullest  opportunity 
to  do  so  ?  How  rare  it  is  to  see  one-tenth  of  the  floral 
beauty  afibrded  by  deciduous  shrubs  even  suggested ! 
Hitherto  our  gardening  has  been  marked  by  two  schools — 


THE  BOIS  liE  BOULOGNE.  25 

one  in  which  a  few,  or  comparatively  few, "  good  things^'  are 
grown;  the  other,  the  botanic  garden  school,  in  which 
every  obtainable  thing  is  grown,  be  it  ugly  or  handsome. 
What  we  want  for  the  ornamental  public  garden  is  the  mean 
between  these  two;  we  want  the  variety  of  the  botanic 
garden  without  its  scientific  but  very  unnatural  and  ugly 
arrangement;  we  want  its  interest  without  its  weediness 
and  monotony. 

There  is  no  way  in  which  the  deadening  formalism  of 
our  gardens  may  be  more  efiectually  destroyed  than  by  the 
system  of  naturally  grouping  hardy  plants.  It  may  afibrd  the 
most  pleasing  results,  and  impress  on  others  the  amount  of 
variety  and  loveliness  to  be  obtained  from  many  families  now 
ahnost  unused.  To  suggest  in  how  many  directions  we  may 
produce  the  most  satisfactory  efiects,  I  have  merely  to  give 
a  few  instances.  Suppose  that  in  a  case  where  the  chief 
labour  and  expense  now  go  for  an  annual  display,  or  what 
some  might  call  an  annual  muddle,  the  system  is  given  up 
for  one  in  which  all  the  taste  and  skill  and  expense  go  to 
the  making  of  features  that  do  not  perish  with  the  first 
frosts.  Let  us  begin,  then,  with  a  carefully  selected  collec- 
tion of  trees  and  shrubs  distinguished  for  their  fine  foliage — 
by  noble  leaf  beauty,  selecting  a  quiet  glade  in  which  to 
develope  it.  I  should  by  no  means  confine  the  scene  to  this 
tfpe  alone,  as  it  would  be  desirable  to  show  what  the  leaves 
were  by  contrast,  and  to  vary  it  in  other  ways — with  bright 
beds  of  flowers  if  you  like.  It  would  make  a  feature  in 
itself  attractive,  and  show  many  that  it  is  not  quite  neces- 
sary to  resort  to  things  that  require  the  climate  of  Rio 
before  you  find  marked  leaf  beauty  and  character.  It 
would  teach,  too,  how  valuable  such  things  would  prove  for 
the  mixed  collection.  Many  kinds  of  leaf  might  be  therein 
developed,  from  the  great  simple-leaved  species  of  the 
rhubarb  type  to  the  divided  ones  of  Lindley's  spirsea,  and 
the  taller  Ailantus,  Kolreuteria,  Gymnocladus,  &c.  The 
fringes  of  such  a  group  might  well  be  lit  up  with  beds  of 
lilies,  irises,  or  any  showy  flowers ;  or  better  still,  by  hardy 
flowering  shrubs.  An  irregularly  but  artistically  planted 
group  of  this  kind  would  prove  an  everlasting  source  of 


26  THE   BOIS   D£   BOULOGNE. 

interest ;  it  might  be  improved  and  added  to  from  time  to 
time^  but  the  original  expense  would  be  nearly  all. 

Pass  by  this  rather  sheltered  nook^  and  come  to  a  gentle 
knoll  in  an  open  spot.  Here  we  will  make  a  group  from 
that  wonderful  rosaceous  family  which  does  so  much  to 
beautify  all  northern  and  temperate  climes.  And  what  a 
glorious  bouquet  it  might  be  made^  with  American  and 
European  hawthorns,  double  cherries,  plums,  almonds,  pears, 
double  peaches,  &c.,  need  hardly  be  suggested.  You  would 
here  have  a  marked  family  likeness  prevailing  in  the  groups, 
quite  unlike  the  monotony  resulting  from  planting,  say,  five 
or  six  thousand  plants  of  Rhododendron  in  one  spot,  as  is 
the  fashion  with  some ;  for  each  tree  would  difier  conside- 
rably from  its  neighbour  in  flower  and  fruit.  Then,  having 
arranged  the  groups  in  a  picturesque  and  natural  way,  we 
might  finish  off*  with  a  new  feature.  It  is  the  custom  to 
margin  our  shrubberies  and  ornamental  plantings  with  a 
rather  well-marked  line.  Strong-growing  things  come  near 
the  edge  as  a  rule,  and  many  of  the  dwarfest  and  prettiest 
spring-flowering  shrubs  are  lost  in  the  shade  or  crowding 
of  more  robust  subjects.  They  are  often  overshadowed, 
often  deprived  of  food,  often  injui:ed  by  the  rough  digging 
which  people  usually  think  wholesome  for  the  shrubbery. 
Now  I  should  take  the  very  best  of  these,  and  extend  them 
as  neat  low  groups,  or  isolated  well-grown  specimens,  not 
far  from,  and  quite  clear  of  the  shade  of,  the  medium-sized 
or  low  trees  of  the  central  groupings.  The  result  would 
be  that  choice  dwarf  shrubs  like  Ononis  fruticosus,  Prunus 
triloba,  the  dwarf  peach  and  almond,  Spirsea  prunifolia  fl.  pi., 
the  double  Chinese  plum,  and  any  others  of  the  numerous 
fine  dwarf  shrubs  that  taste  might  select,  would  display  a 
perfection  to  which  they  are  usually  strangers.  It  would 
be  putting  them  as  far  in  advatice  of  their  ordinary  appear- 
ance, as  the  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  at  our  great  flower 
shows  are  to  the  ordinary  stock  in  a  nursery  or  neglected 
private  garden.  It  would  teach  people  that  there  are  many 
unnoticed  little  hardy  plants  which  merely  want  growing  in 
some  open  spot  to  appear  as  beautiful  as  any  admired  New 
Holland  plant.     The  system  might  be  varied  as  much  as 


THE   BOIS   DE   BOULOGNE.  27 

the  plants  themselves^  while  one  garden  or  pleasure  ground 
need  no  more  resemble  another  than  the  clouds  of  to-morrow 
do  those  of  to-day. 

In  the  rich  alluvial  soil  in  level  spots,  near  water  or  in 
some  open  break  in  a  wood,  we  might  have  numbers  of  the 
fine  herbaceous  families  of  Northern  Asia,  America,  and 
Europe.  These,  if  well  selected,  would  furnish  a  type  of 
vegetation  now  very  rarely  seen  in  this  country,  and  flourish 
without  the  slightest  attention  after  once  being  planted. 
In  rocky  mounds  quite  free  from  shade  we  might  well 
display  true  Alpine  vegetation,  selecting  dwarf  shrubs  and 
the  many  free-growing,  hardy  Alpines  which  flourish  every- 
where. To  turn  from  the  somewhat  natural  arrangements, 
as  the  years  rolled  on,  occasional  plantings  might  be  made  to 
show  in  greatest  abundance  the  subjects  of  greatest  novelty 
or  interest  at  the  time  of  planting.  In  one  select  spot,  for 
example,  we  might  enjoy  our  plantation  of  Japanese  ever- 
greens, many  of  them  valuable  in  the  ornamental  garden;  in 
another  the  Califomian  pines;  in  another  a  picturesque 
group  of  wild  roses ;  and  so  on  without  end.  Were  this  the 
place  to  do  any  more  than  suggest  what  may  be  done  in 
this  way  in  the  splendid  positions  offered  by  our  public 
gardens  and  parks,  I  could  mention  scores  of  arrangements 
of  equal  interest  and  value  to  the  above.  If  the  principle 
of  annually  planting  a  portion  of  a  great  park  or  garden  of 
this  kind  were  adopted  instead  of  giving  all  the  same  routine 
attention  after  the  first  laying  out,  I  am  certain  it  would 
prove  the  greatest  improvement  ever  introduced  into  our 
system  of  gardening.  The  embellishment  of  the  islands  in 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne  is  very  successful,  but  it  is  merely 
one  of  many  fine  results  that  artistic  planting  would  secure. 
Plantations  as  full  of  interest  and  beauty  might  be  made  in 
other  portions,  and  the  fact  is  the  vegetable  kingdom  is  so 
wide  that,  although  the  combination  of  plant  knowledge  and 
taste  necessary  to  success  might  not  often  be  found  in  the 
designer,  the  materials  for  any  number  of  varied  pictures 
in  vegetation  could  never  fail. 

The  principle  here  advocated  should  not  only  be  applied 
to   the   details  of  one  garden,  but  on  a  greater  scale,  and 


28  THE   B0J8   BE   BOULOGNE. 

with  even  more  satisfactory  results^  to  all  the  gardens  of  any 
great  city. 

Take  a  city  with  half  a  dozen  parks^  a  score  of  squares, 
and  perhaps  numerous  avenues  and  open  places  where 
trees  or  flowers  might  be  grown — take^  in  fact,  the  public 
gardening  of  Paris  or  London  at  the  present  day.  Now,  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  things,  several  kinds  of  trees  and 
plants,  or  several  dozen  kinds,  will  be  found  to  do  best  in 
all  these  places,  and  under  the  usual  management  the  same 
subjects  will  predominate  in  each.  To  the  people  who 
live  in  the  neighbourhood  of  each  the  effect  will  be  perhaps 
agreeable ;  but  it  must  become  monotonous.  To  prevent 
people  endeavouring  to  see  any  life  or  interest  in  vegeta- 
tion, the  true  way  is  to  make  a  few  things  predominate 
everywhere.  It  is  also  a  simple  and  easy  way  for  the 
superintendents ;  there  is  no  "  bother  with  it,''  but  there  is 
also  little  pleasure,  and  little  of  that  enthusiastic  effort  which 
is  the  highest  of  pleasures,  and  one  only  enjoyed  by  those 
who  work  at  things  for  their  own  sakes.  Innumerable  beds 
of  Cannas  and  Pelargoniimis  are  better  than  nothing,  no 
doubt^  but  are  bad  where  the  opportunity  for  a  higher  kind  of 
embellishment  exists.  For  the  credit  and  encouragement  of 
our  city  gardening,  it  is  necessary  that  we  confine  cursives 
to  the  better  kind  of  trees,  as  many  good  kinds  do  not  grow 
well  in  streets ;  but  when  it  comes  to  the  parks  and  open 
gardens,  it  is  a  very  different  matter.  If  each  park  and 
square  in  a  city  were  arranged  entirely  different  from  every 
other,  the  enjoyment  of  those  in  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood of  each  would  be  none  the  less,  while  the  gardening 
treasures  of  the  town  would  be  greater  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  parks  or  squares.  A  walk  in  any  direction 
would  reveal  new  charms  to  those  having  the  slightest 
sympathy  with  nature,  and  help  to  sow  the  seed  of  love  for 
it,  were  the  ground  ever  so  barren.  A  walk  to  distant 
parks  or  squares  would  furnish  an  object  to  the  many,  who 
might  be  expected  to  take  an  interest  in  gardens  under 
such  management;  and  objects  for  walks  in  towns  and 
cities  cannot  be  too  numerous. 

One  park  might  display  minute  floral  interest  in  all  its 


i 


THE   BOIS   BE   BOULOGNE.  29 

variations^  with  the  larger  subjects  only  used  as  the  neces- 
sary setting,  shelter,  and  greenery.     Another,  with  a  good 
soil  and  favourable  exposition,  might  be  made  to  show  the 
dignity  and  variety  of  the   forest  trees  of  northern  and 
temperate  Europe,  Asia,  and  America.     One  square  might, 
like  Berkeley-square  in  London,  or  the  little  squares  in  the 
Place  Napoleon  III.   in   Paris,  be  made  very  tasteful  and 
efiTective  from  simple  inexpensive  materials — such  as  green 
grass,  hardy  shrubs,  and  trees.     Another  might  display  leaf- 
beauty  so  as  to  remind  one  of  the  vegetation  of  the  South 
Sea  Islands ;    another,  chiefly  the   dwarf  prairie  and  hill 
flora    of    cold    and    temperate    countries;    and    so    on — 
each  class  of  vegetation  to  be  considerately  adapted  to  soil, 
conditions,  and  surroundings  of  the  place  as  regards  shelter, 
liability  to  foul  vapours,  position  in  relation  to  other  gardens 
and  avenues,  and  so  on.     In  fact,  this  great  principle  of 
variety  is  capable  of  doing  so  much  for  public  gardens,  that  it 
should  be  made  compulsory  on  the  heads  of  these  establish- 
ments to  make   each   as  different  from  its  brother  as  it 
possibly  could    be    made.     Carried  out,   then,   as  I  have 
slightly  indicated,   both   in  the  private  and    public  place, 
gardening  would  be   nearer  to   proving  the  "  greatest  re- 
freshment to  the  spirits  of  man^^  than  it  has  ever  been  in 
any  age. 

There  is  one  feature  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  which 
cannot  be  too  strongly  condemned — the  practice  of  laying 
down  here  and  there  on  some  of  its  freshest  sweeps  of 
doping  grass  enormous  beds  containing  one  kind  of  flower 
only.  In  several  instances,  near  the  very  creditable  planta- 
tions on  the  islands  and  margins  of  the  lake,  may  be  seen 
hundreds  of  one  kind  of  tender  plant  in  a  great  unmeaning 
mass,  just  in  the  positions  where  the  turf  ought  to  have  been 
left  free  for  a  little  repose  between  the  very  successful  per- 
manent plantations.  This  is  done  to  secure  a  paltry  un- 
natural and  sensational  effect,  which  spoils  some  of  the 
prettiest  spots.  Let  us  hope  that  some  winter^s  day,  when 
the  great  beds  are  empty,  they  may  be  neatly  covered  with 
green  turf. 

The  Bois  being  rather  level,  heavy  rains  used  to  lie  a 


30  TDE   BOIS   DE   BOULOGNE. 


THE   BOIS   Dlfi   BOULOGNE.  31 

long  time  on  the  surface  of  the  roads^  &c.,  before  bein? 
absorbed ;  to  have  remedied  this  by  means  of  sewers  voald 
have  cost  about  160^000/.^  so  the  plan  was  adopted  of  con- 
structing a  number  of  tanks  at  intervals,  on  an  averj^e.  of 
200  metres,  and  capable  of  containing  from  ten  to  twenty 
cubic  metres  of  water  each.     These  tanks  are  «reneralir 
cbrcular  in  form  and  crowned  by  a  truncated  cone — a  fyrr. 
irhich  of  course  requires  less  mason's  work  than  the  rec- 
tangular, the  latter  being  adopted  only  when  large  treci  h- 
terfere  with  the  plan.    These  tanks  are  shown  in  fi^.  12,   The 
rectangular  cisterns  measure  from  four  to  six  me^a  h 
length,  one  to  two  metres  in  width,  and  two  toxhneioezrts 
in  depth;  they  are  arched  at  the  top,  and, like  thecfr:iar  ic-*?. 
provided  with  a  trapped  hole,  which  serves,  S:k.  Zj  r:zi^ 
draw  the  centrings,  and  afterwards  to  clean  ou:  lie  ifscinj 
if  they  become  choked  with  refuse  carried  cin  '?r  -—. 
irater ;  the  floor  is  uncovered,  and  barbicans  ar?  ii  :^  -.. 
botwalls  to  aid  the  escape  of  the  water.    T^eK  !ac^^ 
lie  placed  eitlicr  under  the  footpaths  or  in  air  Lstn.  r.  •  - 
Hot  to  interfere  with  the  grass  or  the  floTg?  '-ji;-^    '^. , 
water  is  convcvcd  to  the  cisterns  bv  means  n  •-n  —. 
4in.  exterior  diameter,  the  first  joint  bein?  tzi'j-xrr  - 
mouthpiece  of  Portland  cement,  shown  iz  zzt  -  -— .- 
These  mouthpieces  are  nearly  20in.  in  le^rl   zjt"  -^ 
in  wooden  moulds,  and  cost  2f.  90c.  per  ijsti 

Not  far  from  the  lower  hike,  and  at  ixnr  2*  — — *. 
the  Bois,  occurs  the  Pre  Catulan — an  ei<:^^  rjp, 
aionally  the  scene  of  fetes,  having  sevtnl  rsaoair  - 
an  open-air  theatre,  and  a  peculiar  laza  jj  -    jl.^  " 
a    cow-liousc,  containing   about  eiztZTmft  ^        *"- 
milk  is  sold  to  those  who  frequent  ii 
horsemen  who  ride  out  from  Paris  be 
morning,  and  call  here  on  their  wit  ^ 
new  milk.     These  features,  hovere.  as  -— 
background,  and  the  place  geooxlT  j^  -       "* 
of  an   ornamental  garden,  well  v^isr  v 
inspection  from  any  horticoltanl 
the  Bois  or  on  ti^  fashionable  dBi»  , 

Gardeners '^'^    '^  intererad  a  '       ^  ^^"^  "' 


•  ^--1.:.: 


J   ■:- 


82  THE  GAEOEN  OF  ACCLIMATIZATION. 

on  the  30th  day  of  August,  the  fSte  of  their  order  ia 
held  here,  the  patron  saints  being  St.  I^acre  and  St.  Bose. 
Here  the  gardeners  of  Paris  and  their  friends  assemble 
to  the  number  of  three  or  four  thousand,  and  amuse  them- 
selves with  dancing,  games,  and  the  usual  accompaniments 
of  a  Parisian  fSte,  including  fireworks,  of  course.  As  a 
garden,  the  Pre  Catalan  is  distinguished  by  good  spetnmena 
of  standard  Magnolias,  both  the  evergreen  grandiflora  and 
the  deciduous  kinds,  and  lai'ge  masses  of  flowers  and  fine- 
leaved  plants. 

Apart  from  these,  which  are  well  known  and  extensively 
employed  elsewhere  about  Paris,  I  noticed  that  fine  aquatic, 
Thalia  dealbata — usually  grown  in  stoves  in  England — in 
robust  condition  in  the  midst  of  a  shallow  running  stream, 
the  canna-Iike  leaves  large,  handsome,  and  2S  inches  long 
by  13  broad,  and  the  flower  stems  7  and  8  feet  high  (17th 
September).  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  distinct 
of  all  aquatic  plants,  quite  difietent  from  the  normal  type, 
and  should  be  much  used  with  us.  Erianthus  Bavennte, 
an  ornamental  grass,  was  in  flower  at  the  same  date,  and 
10  or  11  feet  high.  Lantana  delicatissima  was  used  aa 
margining  carpeting  to  some  beds  here.  Simple  and 
inconspicuous  thing  as  it  is,  it  is  multiplied  to  the  extent 
of  from  12,000  to  20,000  every  year,  which  may  serve  to 
give  another  idea  of  the  way  in  which  ornamental  garden- 
ing is  carried  on  by  the  mu- 
FW'  13-  nicipality  of  Paris. 

Garden  of  Acclimatiza- 
tion in  the  Boia  de  Bou- 
logne.  —  This  is  a  pretty 
garden  and  a  most  iuterest- 
iug  place.  In  it  you  may 
study  many  things,  from  the 
culture  of  the  oyster  to  the 
numerons  breeds  of  domes- 
tic fowls,  from  ostriches  to 
the  diSerent  plants  used  for 
bee  feeding.  There  is  here 
Oitricbes  b  tha  JardiD  d'Acclimatation.  an  interesting  hybrid  ass — a 


THK  QARDBM  OF  ACCUMATIZAnOH. 


neat  cross  between  the  domesHc  and  vild  varietieB,  vbich 
prored  useless  for  the  carriage,  and  kicked  it  and  the  hamen 
into  "  Bmithereena"  vhen  yoked,  in  cooBcqnence  of  the  rims, 
or  irhat  an  Irishman  irould  call  the  "  dirilmenf '  of  the  exotic 
parent  predominating.  I  was  not  insensible  to  the  claims  of  a 
Bossian  dog,  with  a  coat  like  a  superannoated  door-mat ;  I 
landed  at  a  duck  which  had  a  velvet-looking  head  remark- 
ably like  a  hnnting'Cap,  and  nearly  aa  big,  bnt  with  a  body 
no  lai^er  than  a  debilitated  blackbird ;  and  was  amazed  to  aee 
a  Chinese  dog  having  no  hair  except  on  the  top  of  his  head  ; 
Imt  we  most  let  all  such  curiositieB  pass,  and  confine  our- 
■elves  exclusively  to  vegetable  life,  now  as  always  of  great 
importance,  since  Man  first  regaled  himarlf  upon  fruits  and 
gceeot-meat. 

Doubtless  one  of  the  first  things  that  sagacious  creature 
{itched  upon  was  the  grape — at  least,  the  best  varieties  of 
grapes  and  the  best  varieties  of  men  are  supposed  to  have 
originated  in  much  the  same  ^     ^^ 

place.  To-day  thevinels  more 
important  than  ever,  and  the 
garden  here  has  a  magnifi- 
cent collection  of  2000  varie- 
ties I  This  collection  is  the 
fiunons  one  formed  in  the 
gardens  of  the  Luxembourg, 
and  fortunately  saved  fix>m 
jdeatxuction  by  M.  Drouyn 
d^  Lbuys,  acting  upon  the 
Q^ent  request  of  a  iiriend  of 
horticulture.  The  vines  were 
actually  about  to  be  thrown 
away  when  the  recent  muti- 
lation of  the  Luxembourg 
garden  took  place.  So  by 
anthority  they  were  ordered 
to  the  gardens  in  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  where,  let  as  hope,  they  will  be  well  looked  after, 
as  it  would  be  a  great  pity  if  a  collection  embracing,  as  far 
aa  could  be  gathered,  nearly  all  the  varieties  cultivated  in 


Streamlet  in  tba  Jardiu  d'AcclimaUtion. 


u 


THE  GABDEN   OF  ACCLIMATIZATION. 


the  world,  should  be  lost  to  horticulture  and  to  science.  I 
sav  a  man  carrying  manure  on  his  back  to  the  yines,  and 
sat  dovu  and  contemplated  him  going  through  the  inte- 
resting task ;  the  basket  (panier)  was  placed  on  a  slightly  ele- 
vated board  supported  by  three  sticks,  from  which  be  could 
readily  hook  on  to  it  when  it  was  filled.  I  looked  at  bim  with 
req)ect  and  some  sympathy,  just  as  ve  should  at  a  living 
specimen  of  the  Dodo  or  any  other  animal  supposed  to  be 
extinct.  It  occurred  to  me  at  the  time  that  the  acclimati- 
zation of  a  bandy  useful  species  of  wheelbarrow  would  not 


CoBMrTStorj'  in  tlio  Jardin  d'Acclimttfttion. 

be  unworthy  of  the  Society.  However,  it  is  only  fair  to  add 
that  this  kind  of  basket  would  prove  iiseful  in  town  garden- 
ing, where  soil  has  often  to  be  taken  through  the  house, 
also  for  carrying  vegetables,  and  for  conveyance  of  manure 
between  close  rows  of  vines,  and  like  uses. 

Although  the  glass-houses  in  the  garden  afford  but  little 
interest,  rockwork  and  the  planting  out  of  fine  foliage  plants 
tend  to  make  the  conservatory  very  pleasant  and  refreshing. 


T 


THE  BOIS  DE  VIHCBNNES. 


TBE   B0I5   D£   VINCSHNEB.  35 

The  Lycopodium  is  used  vitli  cliamui^  effect  to  form  a 
tnrf  in  the  conservatory,  and  noUiing  can  look  better  than 
the  New  Zealand  flax,  and  several  palms  and  tree  ferns, 
planted  near  the  mai^in  of  a  vioding  piece  of  vater  in  that 
Btmctnre.  Musa  Ensete  too  looked  nobly  in  the  same 
poaition.  Those  who  visit  it  during  the  winter,  cannot  fail 
to  be  much  stmck  with  the  effect  produced  by  beds  cut  in 
the  rich  green  of  Lycopodiom  denticulatum,  and  filled  with 
Primulas,  Cinerarias,  and  spring  flowers  generally.  The 
whole  floor  of  the  house,  walks  excepted,  was  effectually 
covered  by  the  Lycopodium. 


Fto.is. 


The  Bins  de  Vincennes. 

The  west  end  of  Paris  has  its  Bois  de  Boulogne  for  drives, 
promenades,  quiet  walks,  fStes,  races,  &;c. ;  it  has,  in  fact, 
its  Kensington-gardens,  Hyde  Park,  Green  Park,  and  St. 
James's  Park,  and  more  than  all  these  in  one ;  but  the  east 
end  is  equally  well  off  in  having  the  extensive  and  noble 
Bois  de  Vincennes,  which  in  some  respects  is  quite  equal 
to  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  and  in  one  or  two  even  superior. 
D  % 


86  THE  B0I8  DE  YINCENNES. 

It  contains  well  designed  sheets  of  water  about  forty 
acres  in  extent;  a  wide^  open  plain^  about  755  acres^ 
and  of  which  about  284  are  devoted  to  a  drill-ground; 
between  700  and  800  acres  of  forest;  110  of  shrub* 
bery  and  select  plantation;  110  of  roads; — ^in  all  nearly 
1800  acres.  The  same  care  in  keepings  the  fine  roads 
and  walks^  and  the  breadth  of  design^  which  are  seen  in  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne^  are  also  seen  here^  though  this  is  entirely 
distinct  firom  that  as  regards  plan.  But  as  there  is  no 
feature  in  it  that  we  have  not  discussed  or  shall  not  discuss 
with  more  profit  elsewhere^  a  detailed  description  of  it  is 
not  given.  Opening  up  the  city  by  means  of  airy^  open 
roads^  little  squares^  &c.^  is  of  far  greater  importance  than 
the  creation  of  vast  domains  outside  a  city^  where  people 
may  enjoy  a  little  fresh  air  once  a  week  or  so. 

It  has  quite  a  novel  feature^  in  the  fruit-garden  of  the  city 
of  Paris^  recently  formed.  This  is  described  at  length  in 
another  chapter. 

The  lake  nearest  to  the  fruit-garden  and  the  Avenue 
Daumesnil  entrance  is  beautifrdly  disposed^  and  its  margins 
and  islands  are  well  planted.  To  walk  completely  round  it^ 
starting  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  fruit-garden  and  re- 
turning to  the  same  position^  will  well  repay  the  visitor; 
few  public  parks  offering  anything  so  refreshing  and  agree- 
able of  a  warm  summer  evening. 

A  restaurant  near  one  of  the  lakes  illustrates  admirably 
how  like  conveniences  may  be  introduced  into  public  parks 
without  in  the  least  rendering  them  objectionable.  It  com- 
mands excellent  views  of  the  park  and  water  from  the  groups 
of  trees  by  which  it  is  hidden^  and  which  perfectly  prevent  it 
from  obtruding  upon  the  quietness  of  the  park.  It  would  be 
well  if  like  care  were  alwavs  taken  to  veil  such  structures. 
The  restaurant  figured  on  the  preceding  page  is  not  quite  so 
happily  placed^  but  nevertheless  forms  a  not  objectionable 
feature  in  the  park. 

The  Bois  de  Yincennes  contains  also  the  city  nursery 
for  herbaceous  plants^  &c.^  alluded  to  in  the  chapter  on 
the  Public  Nurseries. 

Cercis  australis  and  Planera  acuminata  have  been  tried 


WATERING   THE   PARKS.  37 

as  boulevard  trees  in  and  near  the  Bois  de  Vincennes^  and 
promise  well  The  Planera,  it  is  hoped^  will  replace  the 
elm  in  places  where  that  is  destroyed  by  the  Scolytus ;  and 
the  Cercis  looked  very  fresh  and  well  about  the  middle  of 
September,  and  at  the  end  of  the  very  trying  season  of  1868. 

A  plantation  of  about  seven  acres  of  Wellingtonias  was 
made  here  about  three  years  ago,  and  the  plants  are  strong 
and  good.  Were  it  not  for  the  ver  blanc  this  would  even 
now  be  a  fine  feature ;  but  imfortunately  very  few  speci- 
mens remain  uninjured  by  this  most  terrible  of  pests.  Some 
of  the  trees  had  formed  good  specimens,  and  showed  what  a 
noble  wood  of  Wellingtonias  would  have  been  seen  here 
were  it  not  for  this  grub.  Hares  are  rather  plentiful  here^ 
and  may  be  seen  scampering  over  the  open  parts — quite  an 
uncommon  occurrence  in  a  public  park. 

To  connect  the  Bois  with  the  promenades  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, the  plains  of  Bercy  and  St.  Mande,  lying  between 
the  old  boundaries  of  the  wood  and  the  walls  of  the  fortifica- 
tions of  Paris,  were  bought  up,  so  that  the  new  promenade, 
like  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  now  begins  at  the  very  gates  of 
the  city.  The  pieces  of  water  in  the  Bois  de  Vincennes,  as 
well  as  the  pipes  by  which  the  gardens  are  watered,  are  sup- 
pUed  from  the  river  Mame.  Here,  as  in  other  parks  and 
gardens,  the  hottest  and  most  arid  weather  merely  makes 
the  grass  and  plants  greener  and  healthier,  in  consequence 
of  the  admirable  arrangements  for  watering  both  turf,  trees, 
and  flowers. 

Watering  the  Parks. 

The  climate  of  Paris  being  dryer  than  that  of  London, 
and  the  soil  less  conducive  to  the  growth  of  grasses,  the 
verdure  maintained  in  the  more  ornamental  parts  of  the 
Paris  parks  is  naturally  a  source  of  some  surprise  to  visi- 
tors. It  is  difficult  to  give  the  reader,  who  has  not  seen  it 
himself,  an  idea  of  how  perfectly  the  watering  is  done. 
The  contrast  between  the  parks  and  gardens  of  London 
and  Paris  is  in  this  way  by  no  means  flattering  to  our  way  of 
managing  them.  It  will  be  better  to  quote  one  of  our  jour- 
nals to  represent  our  own  side  of  the  question.    "  We  have  re- 


88  WATERING   THE   PARKS. 

peatedly  called  the  attention  of  the  authorities  during  the 
summer  to  the  melancholy  state  into  which  the  parks  were 
falling.  The  mischief  we  desired  to  guard  against  is  now 
done.  The  grass  is  of  the  colour  of  hay,  and  the  little  of 
it  that  remains  is  being  so  rapidly  trodden  down  that  in 
many  parts  what  used  to  be  greensward  is  now  nothing 
better  than  hard  road.''  So  wrote  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  one 
day  last  summer;  and  really,  about  the  end  of  July  and 
the  beginning  of  August,  nothing  could  look  more  unat- 
tractive than  the  London  parks.  These  parks  are  supported 
at  heavy  public  cost;  and  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  let 
them  be  rendered  as  brown  and  uninviting  as  the  desert 
by  an  exceptional  drought,  which  of  course  will  happen 
at  the  very  season  when  the  grounds  ought  to  be  in  per- 
fect beauty  and  attractiveness.  The  French  system  of 
watering  gardens,  &c.,  is  excellent,  or  at  least  the  generally 
adopted  system;  for  at  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  there  are 
yet  watering-pots  made  of  thick  copper,  which  are  worthy 
of  the  days  of  Tubal  Cain,  but  a  disgrace  to  any  more 
recent  manufacturer,  and  a  curse  to  the  poor  men  who 
have  to  water  with  them.  Generally  Parisian  lawns  and 
gardens  are  watered  every  evening  with  the  hose,  and  most 
eflfectively.  It  is  so  perfectly  and  thoroughly  done,  that 
they  move  trees  in  the  middle  of  summer  with  impunity ; 
keep  the  grass  in  the  driest  and  dustiest  parts  of  Paris  as 
green  as  an  emerald,  the  softest  and  thirstiest  of  bedding 
plants  in  the  healthiest  state;  and  as  for  the  roads,  the 
way  they  are  watered  cannot  be  surpassed.  They  are  kept 
agreeably  moist  without  being  muddy,  while  firm  and  crisp 
as  could  be  desired.  Of  course  all  this  is  effected  in  the 
first  instance  by  having  abundance  of  water  laid  on ;  but 
that  is  not  all.  With  us,  even  where  we  have  the  water 
laid  on,  we  too  often  spend  an  immense  amount  of  labour 
in  distributing  it.  In  Paris  generally  it  is  applied  with  vari- 
ous modifications  of  the  hose,  which  pours  a  vigorous  stream, 
divided  and  made  coarse  or  fine  either  by  turning  a  cock, 
by  the  finger,  or  even  by  the  force  of  the  water. 

This  is  the  way  they  apply  it  to  roads,  the  smaller  bits  of 
grass  about  the  Louvre,  and  other  places ;  but  when  water- 


WATERING   THE   PARKS. 


39 


ing  large  spreads  of  grass  in  the  parks  the  system  is  dif- 
ferent. One  day  in  passing  by  the  racecourse  at  Long- 
champs  I  saw  it  carried  out  in  perfection.  The  space  had 
become  very  much  cut  up  by  reviews  and  races;  but  in  any 
case  it  is  watered  to  keep  it  as  green  as  possible  in  summer. 
At  first  sight  it  would  appear  a  difficult  thing  to  water  a 
racecourse,  but  two  men  were  employed  in  doing  it  eflPec- 
tually.  Right  across  the  whole  open  space  from  east  to 
west  stretched  an  enormous  hose  of  metal^  but  in  joints  of 
say  about  six  feet  each.  The  whole  was  rendered  flexible 
by  these  portions  being  joined  to  each  other  by  short  strong 
bits  of  leathern  hose,  each  metal  joint  or  pipe  being  sup- 
ported upon  two  pairs  of  little  wheels.  Fig.  17  shows  a 
section  of  the  appa- 
ratus at  work.  By  ^'®*  ^^• 
means  of  these  the 
whole  may  be  readily 

moved  about   without  ^  o  **         \n  \\\\v\\:\ 

the  slightest  injury  to  -  «•-»^...*»»r>*^^-. 

tne   nose    in  any  part.   Section  of  perforated  self-acting  hose  on  wheels. 

At  about  a  yard  or  so 

apart  along  this  pipe  jets  of  water  came  forth  all  in  one 
direction,  and  at  an  angle  of  about  45  deg.,  and  spread 
out  so  as  to  fully  sprinkle  the  ground  on  one  side ;  and 
thus  four  feet  or  so  of  the  breadth  of  the  whole  plain  of 
Lougchamps  was  being  watered  from  one  hose.  There  were 
two  of  these  hoses  at  work,  one  man  attending  to  each  of 
them;  the  only  at- 
tention required  be-  ^^®-  ^^• 
ing  to  pass  from  one 
end  of  the  line  to  the 
other,  and  push  for- 
ward the  hose  as  each 
portion  became  suffi- 
ciently watered.   The 

simplest  thing  of  all  is  the  way  they  make  the  perforations  for 
the  jets  along  the  pipe.  They  are  simply  little  longitudinal 
holes  driven  in  the  pipe  with  a  bit  of  steel.  They  must  be 
made  across  the  pipe^  or  the  water  will  not  spread  in  the 


/ 


^\^^>>^^. 


Hose  on  wheels  with  double  row  of  perforations. 


40  WATERING   THE   PARKS. 

desired  direction.  The  wind  causes  the  water  to  fall  in 
the  most  divided  form  possible.  With  an  apparatus  thirty 
metres  long  a  man  can  easily  water  1500  square  metres 
per  hour^  moving  the  hose  three  times.  Of  course  the 
quantity  of  water  depends  on  the  force  in  the  conduits  and 
the  length  of  the  tubes.  With  a  pressure  of  22  metres  and 
hose  320  metres  long  the  quantity  of  water  per  metre  and 
per  minute  is  nearly  two  litres.  The  hydrants  in  the  grass 
are  placed  about  fifty  metres  apart^  and  the  wheels  of  the 
tracks  are  of  wood,  in*  order  not  to  cut  the  grass.  There 
are  many  modes  of  spreading  water  in  use  about  Paris, 
but  none  of  them  hfdf  as  good  as  this  simple  method. 
More  than  a  mile  of  this  kind  of  hose  may  be  seen  at  work 
at  one  time  and  with  hundreds  of  jets  playing. 

The  hose  for  watering  the  roads  is  arranged  on  wheels 
also,  but,  as  it  must  be  at  all  times  under  command  when 
carriages  pass  by,  it  has  only  one  rose  or  jet,  which  is  di- 
rected by  a  man  who  moves  about  among  the  carriages  with 
the  greatest  ease,  and  keeps  his  portion  of  the  road  in  capital 
condition.  Of  course  it  is  a  much  cheaper  way  than  carry- 
ing the  water  about  as  we  do,  as  then  we  must  have  horse 
and  cart,  wear  and  tear,  and  man  also ;  whereas,  by  having 
the  water  laid  on,  all  the  men  have  to  do  in  watering  is  to 
attach  the  hose  and  commence  immediately.  In  the  same 
way  as  much  work  can  be  done  in  a  garden  in  a  day  as  vrith 
ten  men  by  the  ordinary  mode ;  so  that  in  the  end  it  is 
much  cheaper  to  have  the  water  laid  on.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  to  the  efficient  watering  much  of  the  success  of 
the  fine  foliaged  plants  in  Paris  gardens  is  to  be  attributed. 

As  a  good  system  of  watering  is  of  the  highest  importance 
to  cities  and  towns  in  every  region  of  the  earth  a  more  de- 
tailed and  technical  account  of  the  watering  of  Paris  gardens 
may  prove  useful  to  some.  The  article  first  appeared  in  the 
Engineer,  and  refers  chiefiy  to  the  arrangements  for  the  Bois 
de  Boulogne,  but  the  system  is  the  same  for  all  other  places. 

The  watering  is  performed  chiefly  by  means  of  long  hose 
with  a  copper  branch,  the  latter  being  provided  with  a  stop- 
cock, so  that  the  delivery  of  the  water  may  be  arrested 
instantly,  without  having  to  turn  off  at  the  plug.     The  hose 


WATERING  THE   PARKS. 


41 


is  generally  twelve  metres  long  and  2in.  in  diameter;  it  is 
constructed  either  of  leather^  vulcanized  india-rubber  or 
canvas ;  the  first  and  second  costing 
from  6^.  to  6*.  8d,  per  yard,  and  the 
last  only  lOd.  or  lid.  The  screw 
connecting  pieces,  which  are  made  of 
gun  metal,  cost  about  6s.  The  leather 
hose,  losing  the  oily  matters  from  its 
pores,  through  the  pressure  of  the 
water^  soon  becomes  brittle,  but  it 
lasts  on  an  average  two  years;  the 
rubber  is  light  and  has  no  other  fault 
but  that  of  wearing  out  in  twelve 
months,  while  the  canvas  hose  soon 
cuts  to  pieces  on  the  gravel.  A  sys- 
tem of  mounting  such  tubes  on  small 
trucks  so  as  to  keep  them  from  trail- 
ing on  the  ground,  and  consequently 
making  them  lighter  to  handle  and 
more  durable,  was  tried  for  a  long 
time,  but  this  has  been  superseded  by 
a  very  simple  and  inexpensive  inven- 
tion, that  of  tubes  made  of  sheet  iron, 
lined  with  lead  and  bitumen,  and  con- 
nected together  by  means  of  leather 
joint  pieces,  the  whole  being  mounted 
on  small  wooden  trucks.  The  cost  of 
this  apparatus  complete,  with  the  sin- 
gle exception  of  the  branch,  is  only 
70f.,  or  5f.  20c.  per  metre,  and  it 
will  last  on  the  average  four  years, 
while  the  old  hose  on  trucks  costs 
127f.,  or  nearly  double. 

The  cost  of  that  now  in  use  is 
made  up  as  follows : — Eleven  metres 
of  iron  tubes,  19f.  25c. ;  leather  junction  pieces,  25f.  60c. ; 
ten  trucks  20f.;  ligatures,  5f.  15c.;  total,  70f.  The  appa- 
ratus in  use  at  the  present  moment  in  Paris  consists  of  five 
tubes,  each  about  6fk.  long,  and  a  shorter  one  to  which  the 


C5 


•ft 

-3 


faO 

c 

•c 
t 

1 

o 

s 

o 


42 


WATERINO   THE   PARKS. 


o 
d 

mm 


branch  is  attached^  so  that  only  five  trucks  are  required ; 
the  trucks  also  in  practice  consist  of  a  piece  of  plain  wood, 
a  little  more  than  a  foot  in  lengthy  the  tube  being  bolted 

on    to    the    upper 
side  and  the   run- 
ners   fixed    to  the 
lower.     As  regards 
the    connexion    of 
the  joints,  this   is 
made       sometimes 
with  brass  flanges, 
but  a  joint  which 
answers        equally 
well,  and  is  much 
cheaper  and  lighter, 
is  that   made  with 
copper   wire ;    for 
the    branch   joint, 
however,      brass 
flanges  are  always 
used,  as  the  branch 
itself    is    removed 
and    carried    away 
when  not    in  use, 
while  the  tubes  are 
simply  folded  toge- 
ther, fastened  with 
a  piece  of  cord,  and 
left  in  any  conve- 
nient comer. 

It  is  found  in 
practice  that  a  man 
cannot  manage  an 
apparatus  of  this 
kind,  which  is  more 
than  about  40ft. 
long ;  but  for  watering  grass,  in  which  case  the  hose  is  left 
stationary  in  one  place  for  some  time  and  then  moved  to 
another,  several  apparatus  are,  if  necessary,  screwed  on  to 


a 
to 
ca 

to 

c 

•  mm 

g 

e 


o 
00 


WATERING   THE   PARKS. 


43 


each  other.  The  effects  of  these  tubes  or  hose  have  been 
carefully  studied.  The  following  is  a  table  of  results  with 
a  twelve  metre  apparatus^  the  inner  diameter  of  the  nozzle 
of  the  branch  being  0*012  metres,  or  rather  less  than  half 
an  inch,  and  the  branch  itself  being  held  at  an  angle  of 
45  deg.: — 


Presiure  at  the 
Borface. 

Quantity  of  water    ! 
given  per  second.    | 

Extent  of  the 
jet. 

Quantity  of  water 

given  when  the 

branch  is  nut  on. 

Metres. 

Litres. 

Metres. 

Litres. 

8 

0-90 

10 

1-80 

12 

1-25 

12 

2  40 

15 

1-40 

14 

2-75 

20 

1-60           ; 

15 

310 

25 

180 

15 

3-40 

30 

1-90 

15 

8  60 

35 

200             I 

16 

3-80 

46 

2  10 

16 

400 

These  results,  it  is  stated,  are  averages,  for  some  appa- 
ratus give  superior  or  different  results,  although  all  the 
conditions  appear  the  same.  Experience  shows  that  with 
the  same  amount  of  pressure  in  the  pipes  the  extent  of  the 
jet  is  enormously  reduced  by  the  lengthening  of  the  hose. 
Of  course  the  diameter  of  the  nozzle  of  the  branch  depends 
on  the  pressure  within  the  tubes,  but  it  was  thought  neces- 
sary to  have  a  uniform  model,  and  0*012  metres  was  adopted 
as  distributing  the  water  most  advantageously  with  a  pres- 
sure of  eight  to  fifteen  metres.  An  apparatus  twelve  metres 
long,  with  a  branch  one  metre  in  length,  and  gi\^ng  an 
average  jet  of  twelve  metres,  is  effective  over  a  radius  of 
twenty-five  metres.  The  plugs  or  hydrants  are  placed  at 
intervals  of  thirty  metres  on  roads  twenty  metres  wide,  and 
forty  metres  apart  in  narrower  roads,  when  they  are  all  on 
one  side  of  the  road. 

Formerly  all  the  roads  in  and  about  Paris  were  watered  by 
means  of  carts  which  held  one  ton  of  water.  It  required 
twenty-four  tons  to  water  the  Avenue  de  Tlmperatricc  properly, 
the  road  round  the  lakes,  and  some  few  others.  The  whole  of 
the  roads  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  as  they  now  stand,  would 
require  ninety  tons  of  water,  which  would  cost,  men,  horses, 
and  carts  included,  13f.  per  ton,  or  200,000f.  (8000/.)  for  the 


44  WATERING  THE   PARKS. 

six  summer  months.  The  new  system  of  watering  by  hose 
costs  for  the  whole  of  the  Bois  but  55^000f.^  or  little  more 
than  a  quarter  of  the  expense  under  the  old  system.  In 
this  estimate,  however,  no  account  is  taken  either  of  the  cost 
of  the  water  itself  or  of  the  capital  expended  for  its  con- 
veyance. Finally,  it  is  remarked,  as  regards  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  that  the  cost  is,  in  fact,  little  more  than  that  of 
the  maintenance  of  the  apparatus  in  repair,  or  about  250/. 
a  year,  the  work  being  done  by  the  body  of  men  called 
cantonniers,  who  have  little  else  to  do  during  the  summer 
months. 

A  water  cart  drawn  by  one  horse,  in  cases  where  the 
hydrants  are  400  metres  apart,  will  water  1800  metres  an 
hour  over  a  width  of  four  and  a  half  metres — ^that  is  to  say, 
a  cart  will  water  about  6000  square  metres,  using  in  the 
operation  three  tons  of  water.  But  in  the  parks  it  was 
found  that  the  cart  should  pass  over  every  spot  once  in  the 
hour,  and  this  gives,  with  an  average  of  seven  hours'  effec- 
tive work,  an  expenditure  of  three  and  a  half  litres,  or  more 
than  seven  pints  per  day  per  square  metre.  The  cost  of 
labour,  cart,  and  horse  is  given  at  about  lOf.  per  day,  so  that 
the  actual  expense  per  ton  and  per  square  metre  stands  thus, 
j^=0'00165f.  In  calculating  the  cost  of  watering  by 
means  of  hose  and  branch,  the  hydrants  or  plugs  must 
necessarily  be  much  more  numerous,  the  intervals  between 
them  being  in  the  case  of  watering  by  cart  400  metres, 
while  in  the  case  of  the  hose  the  intervals  are  on  an 
average  only  thirty-five  metres.  The  total  length  of  the 
roads  to  be  watered  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  is  53,000 
metres,  and  the  number  of  hydrants  1500,  whereas  under 
the  old  system  132  would  have  sufficed,  a  difference  of 
1880  hydrants,  costing  41,  each,  or  4s.  a  year  for  interest, 
and,  in  addition,  4s.  for  repairs,  &c.  Hie  latter  is  con- 
tracted for  at  the  following  rate — ^namely,  eight  centimes 
per  metre,  or  about  three  farthings  a  yard  run  of  conduit, 
and  48.  per  hydrant. 

A  hundred  and  twenty  men  are  required  for  watering 
the  640,000  square  metres  of  road  in  the  Bois;  in  five 
hours  a  man  waters  4500  metres  of  road  three  times  over^ 


WATBRING  THB   PARKS.  45 

besides  watering  the  side  paths  once^  which  the  carts  of 
course  did  not  touch.     The  cost  is  given  as  follows  : — 

Francs. 
Interest  and  Maintenance  of  hydrants         .        .        .        13,800 

Cost  and  repair  of  hose,  &c. 6,200 

Wages  of  120  men  at  half  a  daj  for  six  months  .        .        35,000 

Total 55,000 

The  surface  watered  being,  in  round  numbers,  600,000 
square  metres,  and  the  average  number  of  days  180,  the  cost 
per  square  metre  and  per  day  is 

550,000         ^^^,, 

=000051, 

180  X  600,000  ' 

showing  a  great  economy  as  compared  with  the  expense  of 
watering  by  cart.  The  hose  and  branch  dispense  (making 
allowance  for  interruptions  caused  by  traflSc  and  by  moving 
the  apparatus)  a  litre  of  water  per  second,  or  18,000  litres  in 
five  hours ;  the  quantity  is  therefore  about  the  same  as  that 
dispensed  by  cart,  only  it  is  eflfected  in  five  instead  of  seven 
hours.  Previous  to  the  general  adoption  of  the  hose  and 
branch,  experiments  were  tried  with  small  handcarts  con- 
taining a  quarter  of  a  ton,  and  drawn  by  two  men,  but 
these  were  found  to  cost  more  than  the  old  carts. 

Another  method  of  keeping  roads  and  pathways  in  order, 
namely,  by  the  application  of  deliquescent  salts,  is  inte- 
resting from  its  novelty.  The  salts  used  are  chloride  of 
magnesium  or  of  calcium.  The  former  salt  does  not  exist 
in  commerce,  but  large  quantities  have  been  obtained  from 
the  residue  of  the  manufacture  of  carbonate  of  soda,  at 
a  cost  of  15f.  the  100  kilogrammes ;  it  may,  however,  be 
produced  for  less  than  a  third  of  that  rate.  The  salt  is 
well  calcined  (in  order  to  make  it  lose  as  much  of  its  water 
as  possible),  and  then  coarsely  pulverized;  it  is  sprinkled 
over  the  road  by  hand.  The  efiects  of  this  deliquescent 
salt,  as  compared  with  those  of  water,  are  not  uniform ;  in 
the  case  of  roads  with  much  trafiQc  the  salt  is  twice  as  dear 
as  water,  because  of  the  necessity  of  constant  renewal,  but 
in  side  paths  and  roads  with  little  traffic  the  salt  was  found 
far  more  economical.     The  use  of  deliquescent  salts  has  this 


46  WATERING   THE   FAEK8. 

great  adTantagc,  namely,  that  it  does  not  interfere  in  any 
iray  Tith  the  circulation,  and  maintains  tbe  pathways  clear 
of  dust  or  mud,  while  of  course  in  places  where  there  is  no 
grass  to  be  watered  the  whole  of  the  cost  of  water-pipes  and 
hydrants  would  he  saved. 

The  surface  of  grass  which  has  to  be  watered  with  Seine 
water  in  the  Boia  de  Boulogne  is  about  250  acres,  and  the 
quantity  of  water  required  to  keep  it  in  good  condition 
averages  ten  litres,  or  more  than  two  gallons,  per  square 
metre,  every  third  day.  To  water  this  surface  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  roads  would  require  more  than  a  hundred 


Hose  sllowcd  lo  play  on  the  st&bs  and  shifted  from  lime  to  lime. 

hose  working  ten  hours  a  day,  and  this  would  entail  a  very 
heavy  cost.  But  as  the  grass  does  not  require  to  be  treated 
with  the  same  regularity  aa  the  roads  one  system  adopted  is 
to  place  a  branch  on  a  stand  at  an  angle  of  45  deg.,  and 
allow  it  to  play  over  the  grass  for  a  certain  time,  when  it  is 
removed  to  another  spot :  in  this  way  one  man  can  manage 
ten  apparatus. 

The  total  amount  of  water  taken  from  the  Seine  for  the 
purposes  of  the  Bois  never  exceeds  240  litres,  or  about 
fifty-four  gallons,  per  second.  The  natural  meadows  by  the 
side  of  the  Seine  form  about  4O0  acres,  but  the  soil  here  is 


WATERING  THE   PARKS.  47 

aUavial^  and  therefore  irrigation  is  only  necessary  in  very 
hot  weather^  whereas  the  soil  upon  which  the  artificial 
grass  is  planted  is  nearly  all  sand^  and  the  greatest  care  is 
required  to  keep  the  turf  in  order.  The  total  cost  of  the 
arrangements  of  conduits  and  pipes  for  the  supply  of  water 
to  the  Bois  and  the  avenues  leading  to  it  is  given  at 
l,520,000f.,  or  60,800/. ;  the  number  of  stop-cocks  is  885, 
and  of  hydrants  1600;  and  the  length  of  the  conduit  is 
66^00  metres.  It  results  from  these  figures  that  the  cost 
of  the  whole  has  amounted  to  22f.  97c.,  or  about  18s.  5d. 
per  metre. 


48 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FAKC   MONCEAU. 

This  is  on  the  whole  the  most  beautiful  garden  in  Pans,  and 
well  shows  the  characteristics  of  the  system  of  horticultural 
decoration  so  energetically  adopted  in  that  city.  It  is  not 
large,  but  exceedingly  well  stored,  and  usually  displays  a  vast 
wealth  of  handsome  exotic  plants  in  summer.  In  spring  it 
is  radiant  with  the  sweet  bloom  of  early-flowering  shrubs 
and  trees,  every  bed  and  bank  being  covered  with  pansies, 
Alyssum,  Aubrietia,  and  all  the  best  known  of  the  spring 
flowers,  while  thrushes  and  blackbirds  are  whistling  in  the 
adjacent  bushes,  as  if  they  were  miles  in  the  country, 
instead  of  only  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the  Rue  du  Eau- 
boui^  St.  Honor^.  This  park  was  laid  out  so  long  ago  as 
1778  for  Philip  Egalit^  as  an  '^  English  garden,^'  and  passed 
through  various  changes,  till  it  at  last  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Municipality  of  Paris,  a  very  astute  corporation,  who 
have  converted  it  into  a  charming  garden,  and  are  not  likely 
to  part  with  it  in  a  hurry. 

The  system  of  planting  adopted  here  as  well  as  in  the 
other  gardens  of  the  dty  is  often  striking,  often  beautifrd, 
and  not  unfrequently  bad.  It  is  striking  when  you  see  a 
number  of  that  fine  showy  tree,  Acer  Negundo  variegata, 
arranged  in  one  great  oval  mass,  silvery  and  bright ;  it  is 
beautiful  when  you  see  some  spots  with  single  specimens 
and  tasteful  beds,  every  one  differing  from  its  neighbour ; 
and  bad  when  you  meet  with  about  a  thousand  plants  of 
one  variety  stretched  around  a  collection  of  shrubs,  or 
flopped  down  in  one  large  mass,  or  when  a  number  of  plants 
too  tender  for  the  climate  are  put  out  for  the  summer 
months  amidst  those  that  grow  with  the  greatest  luxuriance. 
The  subtropical  system  will  never  do  for  England  V*  say 


it 


THE   PARC   MONCEAU.  49 

some  practical  men.     The  truth  is^  that  it  requires  to  be 
done  Ycry  carefully  in  Faris^and  there  is  a  great  mistake  made 
by  putting  out  a  host  of  tender  plants  merely  because  they  are 
exotics^  unless  indeed  you  wish  to  contrast  healthy  beauty 
with  ragged  ugliness.     In  the  Fare  Monceau  there  is  usually 
a  group  of  Musa  Ensete  worth  making  a  journey  to  sec^  and 
masses  of  Wigandia,  Canna^  and  such  Solanums  as  Warce- 
wiczii,  that  are  worthy  of  association  with  it ;  but  I  have 
also  seen  there  beds  of  Begonias  without  a  good  leaf  or  a 
particle  of  beauty — scraggy  stove  plants,  with  long  crooked 
legs,  and  a  few  tattered  leaves  at  the  top,  and  poor  standard 
plants  of  the  sweet-verbena  at  the  same  time.     If  it  were 
an  experimental  ground,  one  would  not  mind,  of  course; 
but  this,  in  a  garden  where  its  omission  would  leave  almost 
nothing  to  be  desired,  is  too  bad.     In  some  respects  this 
park  is  really  unequalled,  and  therefore  one  regrets  the  more 
to  see  these  blemishes,  which  let  us  hope  will  not  be  repeated. 
What  first  excites  the  admiration  of  the  visitor  used  to 
the  monotonous  and  highly-toned  type  of  garden  now  seen 
so  much  with  us  is  the  variety,  beauty  of  form,  and  refresh- 
ing verdure  which  characterize  this  garden — good  qualities 
that  are  so  often  absent  in  too  many  of  our  own.     The  true 
garden  is  a  scene  which  should  be  so  delightfully  varied  in 
all  its  parts — so  bright,  so  green,  so  freely  adorned  with  the 
majesty  of  the  tree,  the  beauty  of  the  shrub,  the  noble  lines 
of  the  fine-leaved  plant,  the  minute  beauty  of  the  dwarfer 
plants  of  this  world ;  so  perpetually  interesting,  with  vegeta- 
tion that  changes  with  the  days  and   seasons,  rather  than 
puts  the  stamp  of  monotony  on  the  scene  for  months ;  and 
so  stored  with  new  or  rare,  neglected  or  forgotten,  curious 
or  interesting  plants — that  the  simplest  observer  may  feel 
that  indefinable  joy  which  lovers  of  nature  derive  from  her 
charms    amidst    such  scenes,  but  which    few,  except  those 
of  a  high  degree  of   sensitiveness  and  power  of  expres- 
sion, like  Shelley,  can    give    utterance  to.     It  would   be 
teaching  him  to  use  the  words  of  Goethe — 

"  To  recognise  and  love 
His  brothers  in  still  groTe, 
Or  air  or  stream." 

E 


50  THE   PAEC   MONCEAU. 

If  any  good  at  all  is  to  be  done  by  means  of  flowers  and  gar- 
dens^ you  must  give  men  a  living  interest^  a  lasting  curiosity 
in  them^  and  some  other  objects  than  those  which  can  be 
taken  in  by  the  eye  in  a  moment.  Numbers  are  occupied 
and  delighted  with  gardening  as  it  stands  at  present^  but  it 
can  hardly  be  doubted  that  a  system  with  something  like  an 
aim  at  true  art  would  be  sure  to  attract  many  more ;  and  it 
is  patent  that  there  are  numbers  even  among  the  educated 
classes  who  take  no  interest  whatever  in  the  garden^  simply 
because  they  can  in  few  places  find  any  real  beauty  or 
interest  in  it.  To  confine  ourselves  to  a  single  phase  of 
the  subject,  it  is  certain  that  if  all  interested  in  flower  gar- 
dening had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  charming  efiects 
produced  by  judiciously  intermingling  fine-leaved  plants 
with  brilliant  flowers^  and  of  which  there  are  such  handsome 
examples  in  this  park^  there  would  be  an  immediate  revolu- 
tion in  our  flower-gardenings  and  verdant  grace  and  beauty  of 
fom  would  be  introduced,  and  all  the  brilliancy  of  colour  that 
could  be  desired  might  be  seen  at  the  same  time.  The  beauty 
and  finish  of  many  of  the  finer  beds  here,  are  of  the 
highest  order,  in  consequence  of  the  adoption  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  variety.  Here  is  a  bed  of  Erythrinas  not  yet  in 
flower :  but  what  afibrds  that  brilliant  and  singular  mass  of 
colour  beneath  them,  a  display  which  makes  the  visitor 
pause  when  he  comes  near  the  bed  ?  Simply  a  mixture  of 
the  lighter  varieties  of  Lobelia  speciosa  with  variously 
coloured  and  brilliant  Fortulaccas.  The  beautiful  surfacings 
that  may  thus  be  made  with  annual,  biennial,  or  ordinary 
bedding  plants,  &om  mignonette  to  Altemanthera,  are 
infinite.  At  the  risk  of  driving  off  the  general  reader  we 
must  now  begin  to  use  hard  names,  and  go  deeper  into  purely 
technical  and  horticultural  matters,  for  we  shall  not  else- 
where meet  an  opportunity  of  doing  so  with  so  much 
advantage.  It  is  only  fair  to  warn  the  reader  that  this  is  a 
purely  horticultural  chapter. 

The  following  are  a  few  examples  of  these  graceful  mixtures 
seen  in  this  garden  during  the  past  year : — A  bed  of  Anmdo 
Donax  versicolor,  springing  from  Lobelia  speciosa;  a  bed 
of  Ficus  elastica,  the  ground  beneath  perfectly  hidden  by 


THE   PARC   MONCEAU.  51 

loxnriant  mignonette ;  Wigandia^  springing  from  the  little 
cdlvery  sea  produced  by  the  mixture  of  the  blue  and  white 
yarieties  of  Brachycome  iberidifolia ;  Caladium  esculentum^ 
from  a  rich  sur£Bu;e  of  flowering  Petunias ;  glowing  Hibiscus^ 
from  Gnaphalium;  graceful  dwarf  Dracsenas^  ;from  very 
dwarf  Altemantheras ;  Aralias^  from  Cuphea;  taller  Dra- 
caenaSy  from  a  deep  and  richly-toned  mass  of  Coleus  Yer- 
schafieltii ;  Erythrina^  from  a  sweet  low  carpet  of  soft  purple 
Lantana ;  tall  Solanums^  on  mats  of  that  most  finished  little 
plant  Mierembergia ;  sea-green  Bocconias^  from  the  dwarf 
dark-toned  Oxalis  comiculata  var.^  and  so  on.  Reflect  for 
a  moment  how  consistent  is  all  this  with  the  best  garden- 
ing^  and  the  purest  taste.  Yoiir  bare  earth  is  covered 
quickly  with  these  free-growing  dwarfs ;  there  is  an  imme- 
diate and  a  charming  contrast  between  the  dwarf-flowering 
and  the  fine-foliaged  plants;  and  should  the  last  at  any 
time  put  their  heads  too  high  for  the  more  valuable  things 
above^  they  can  be  cut  in  for  a  second  bloom^  as  was  the 
case  with  some  Petunias  here  which  had  got  a  little  too 
high  for  their  slow-growing  superiors.  In  the  case  of  using 
foliage  plants  that  are  eventually  to  cover  the  bed  com- 
pletely^ annual  plants  may  be  sown^  and  they  in  many  cases 
will  pass  out  of  bloom  and  may  be  cleared  away  just  as  the 
large  leaves  begin  to  cover  the  ground.  Where  this  is  not 
the  case,  but  the  larger  plants  are  placed  thin  enough  to 
always  allow  of  the  lower  ones  being  seen,  two  or  even 
more  kinds  of  dwarf  plants  may  be  employed,  so  that  the 
one  may  succeed  the  other,  and  that  there  may  be  a 
mingling  of  bloom. 

It  may  be  thought  that  this  kind  of  mixture  would  in- 
terfere with  what  is  called  the  unity  of  effect  that  we 
attempt  to  attain  in  our  flower-gardens.  This  need  not  be 
so  by  any  means ;  the  system  could  be  grandly  used  in  the 
most  formal  of  gardens  laid  out  on  the  massing  system  piire 
and  simple ;  besides,  are  there  not  positions  in  every  place 
where  such  arrangements  could  be  made  without  inter- 
fering with  what  is  sometimes  called  the  ^^  flower  garden 
proper*^  ?  Some  may  say  we  cannot  grow  the  fine-leaved 
plants  in  England.    But  this  is  not  so.    The  most  beautiful 

e2 


63  THE  PABC  UONCBAO. 

bed  of  those  above  enomerated  was  that  compoBed  of  varie- 
gated Arundo  and  Lobelia — the  former  a  plant  that  may  be 
readily  groim  on  good  soils  in  Britain,  and  merely  requiring 
the  protection  of  a  little  ashes,  refuse,  or  an  old  mat  over 
the  crown  in  winter,  even  in  soils  that  are  not  particularly 
favourable,  while  the  Lobelia  is  one  of  the  many  fragile  and 
delicately  pretty  little  plants  that  do  perhaps  best  of  all  in 
England.  The  fact  is,  we  can  find  numbers  of  plants 
among  the  hardy  and  free-growing  kinds,  which  will  enable 
ns  to  enjoy  all  the  desired  variety  and  diversity,  even  if  we 
cannot  wisely  venture  to  plant  out  Wigandias  and  coloured 
Dracfenas  except  in  the  more  favoured  districts  of  southern 
England  and  Ireland. 

One  of  the  moat  useful  and  natural  ways  of  diversifying 
and  dignifying  a  garden,  and  one  that  we  rarely  or  never 
take  advantage  of,  is  abundantly  illustrated  here,  and  as  it 
is  perhaps  the  most  important  lesson  to  be  learnt  in  the 
garden,  we  will'  discuss  it  at  some  length.  It  simply  con- 
sists in  placing  really  distinct  and  handsome  plants  alone 
upon  the  grass,  to  break  the  monotony  of  clump  maigins 
and  of  everything  else.  They  may  be  placed  singly  or  in 
open  groups,  near  the  margins  of  a  bold  clump  of  shrubs 
or  in  the  open  grass ;  and  the  system  is  applicable  to  all 
kinds  of  hardy,  ornamental  subjects,  from  trees  downwards, 
though  in  our  case  the  want  is  for  the  fine-leaved  plants 
and  the  more  distinct  hardy  subjects.  Nothing,  for  in- 
stance, can  look  better  than  a  well -developed  tuft  of  the 
broad-leaved  Acanthus  latifolius,  springing  from  the  turf 
not  far  from  the  mai^in  of  the  walk  through  a  pleasure 
ground ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  Yuccas,  Tritomas,  and 
other  things  of  bke  character  and 
hardiness.  We  may  make  attractive 
groups  of  one  family,  as  the  hardiest 
Yuccas ;  or  splendid  groups  of  one 
species  like  the  Pampas  grass — not 
by  any  means  repeating  the  indivi- 
dual, for  there  are  about  twenty  va- 
GfooiMKidnDglo^pocimeM  ricties  of  this  plant  known  on  the 
pi^"     '       "  Continent,   and   from   these   half  a 


THE   PARC    MONCEAV.  53 

dozen  really  distinct  and  charming  kinds  might  be  selected  to 
form  a  group.  The  same  applies  to  the  Tritomas^  which  we 
usually  manage  to  drill  into  straight  lines :  in  an  isolated 
group  in  a  verdant  glade^  they  are  seen  for  the  first  time  to 
best  advantage ;  and  what  might  not  be  done  with  these  and 
their  like  by  making  mixed  groups,  or  letting  each  plant  stand 
distinct  upon  the  grass^  perfectly  isolated  in  its  beauty ! 

Let  us  again  try  to  simply  illustrate  the  idea.  Take  an 
important  spot  in  a  pleasure  ground — a  sweep  of  grass  in 
face  of  a  shrubbery^  and  see  what  can  be  done  with  it  by 
means  of  these  isolated  plants.  IS,  instead  of  leaving  it 
in  the  bald  state  in  which  it  is  often  found,  we  try  to  place 
distinct  things  in  an  isolated  way  upon  the  grass,  the 
margin  of  shrubbery  will  be  quite  softened,  and  a  new  and 
charming  feature  added  to  the  garden. 

Fio.  23. 


* 

Yucca  flaccida. 

Arundo  Donax  variegata.       . 

Ketinospora,  sps.     \^i 

Acanthus  Lusitanicus.         *  ^v^4 

Pampas  grass. 

*  « 

Canna  nigricans.     Group  of  Tritoma  grandis- 

«  »  » 

Statice  latifolia.     Eheum  Eraodi.    Ferula  glauca. 

Fine  herbaceous  and  other  plants  isolated  on  the  grass. 

K  one  who  knew  many  plants  were  arranging  them  on 
the  ground,  and  had  a  large  stock  to  select  from,  he  might 
make  no  end  of  striking  effects.  In  the  case  of  the  smaller 
things^  as  the  Yucca  and  variegated  Arundo,  groups  of 
four  or  five  good  plants  should  be  used  to  form  one  mass^ 
and  everything  should  be  perfectly  distinct  and  isolated,  so 
that  a  person  could  freely  move  about  amongst  the  plants 
without  touching  them.  In  addition  to  such  arrangements^ 
two  or  three  individuals  of  a  species  might  be  placed  here 


54  THB   FABC   KONCSAD. 

and  there  upon  the  grass  vith  the  best  effect.    For  example, 

there  ia  at  present  in  oar  nurseries  (I  once  saw  quantities 

of  it  preparing  for  game  covert  at 

Fia  2t  Mr.  StandUh's,  of  Bagshot)  a  great 

^'"^     Japanese Folygonum,  which  has  never 

as  yet  been  used  with  much  effect  in 

the  garden.     If  anybody  will  select 

some  open  grassy  spot  in  a  pleasure 

ground,  or  grassy  glade  near  a  wood 

— some  spot  considered  unworthy  of 

attention  as  regards  ornamenting  it — 

and  plant  a  gronp  of  three  plants  of 

it,  leaving  fifteen  feet  or  so  between 

the  stools,  a  distinct  aspect  of  vege- 

Portion  of  plan  showing     tation  will  be  the  result.  The  plant  is 

YnccaB,  graoefal  dwtxt    herbaceouB,  and  will  spring  up  every 

{■oUted  OD  the  gniu.         year  to  a  height  of  aom  six  feet  to 

eight  feet  if  planted  well ;  it  has  a 

graceful  arching  habit  in  the  upper  branches,  and  is  covered 

with   a  profusion   of    small    pale  bnncheB    of  flowers    in 

autumn.     It  is  needless  to  multiply  examples — ^the  plan  is 

capable  of  infinite  variation,  and  on  that  account  alone 

should  be  welcome  to  all  true  gardeners.   The  diagram  with 

the  names  is  far  too  formal,  and  merely  given  to  more 

fully  explun  the  system.     The  little  plans  show  better  the 

irregular  way  in  which  the  plants  ought  to  be  disposed. 

The  preceding  part  of  this  chapter  was  written  in  1867; 
but  as  tills  park  is  so  full  of  interest  and  instruction  for  all 
practically  interested  in  the  decoration  of  the  fiower-garden, 
the  following  description,  written  on  the  spot  during  the 
early  part  of  last  September,  may  be  of  some  interest  to  the 
horticultural  reader : — 

Entering  the  park  &om  the  Boulevard  Malesherbes  we 
pass  along  an  avenue  of  plane  trees  that  leads  &om  the  high 
and  ornamental  gates.  The  walk  on  each  side  is  bordered 
with  roses  in  lines  of  different  colours — the  front  row  well 
p^ged  down.  They  form  long  borders  on  each  side,  and 
are  very  ornamental  in  early  summer.  A  carriage  road 
leads  through  the  park,  so  that  it  may  be  seen  by  those 


THE   PAEC   MONCEAU.  55 

wlio  drive  tlirough — ^but  imperfectly^  as  the  more  interesting 
objects  are  along  the  shady  side  and  boundary  walks.  On 
each  side  of  the  central  drives  glimpses  are  caught  of  very 
diversified  and  graceful  foliage  and  flowers^  but  conspicuous 
on  the  margin  is  a  great  mass  of  Caladium^  with  leaves  three 
feet  long  and  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  springing  from  a 
groundwork  of  blue  Lobelia. 

You  can  have  no  real  beauty  in  an  ornamental  garden 
without  the  aid  of  full  grown  trees,  their  majesty  producing 
an  effect  which  cannot  be  dispensed  with.  Here  they 
approach  the  drive  in  groups,  sometimes  overshading  plan- 
tations  of  dense  shrubs,  at  others  springing  clean  from 
the  grass.  In  some  places  they  are  so  crowded  as  to  make 
one  wish  for  a  little  breath,  in  others  they  disappear,  and 
spreads  of  grass  and  dwarfer  plants  permit  the  eye  to  range. 
On  one  side  of  the  route  may  be  noticed  a  hardy  bamboo 
with  black  polished  stems,  and  rods  ten,  twelve,  and  fourteen 
feet  high ;  on  the  other,  one  with  yellow  stems  of  about  the 
same  height.  An  old  specimen  of  the  Abyssinian  Musa  is 
Tigorously  pushing  up  a  maasive  flower  shoot  scarcely  yet 
fleen  through  the  leaves,  and  in  consequence  they  are  by  no 
means  so  ornamental  as  those  of  younger  plants  which 
devote  all  their  energy  to  foliage.  Tree  ferns,  and  the 
curious  and  graceful  Beaucarnea  with  the  great  swollen 
base,  are  seen  here  and  there,  the  Beaucarnea  apparently 
not  a  first-rate  subject  for  placing  in  the  open  air.  Next 
to  the  great  Musa  Ensete,  the  best  Banana  is  the  well-known 
edible  Musa  Cavendishii :  it  is  in  perfect  health,  emerging 
£rom  a  mass  of  Tradescantia  zebrina ;  the  leaves  twenty-four  to 
thirty  inches  long,  and  not  often  lacerated.  A  great  mass  of 
the  variegated  Acer — several  hundred  trees — is  margined 
with  rose-coloured  geraniums,  and  all  the  space  between  filled 
with  Dahlias,  Salvias,  and  the  like  :  a  good  plan,  inasmuch 
as  it  prevents  a  naked  base.  Groups  of  palms,  single 
specimens  of  birch  (as  graceful  as  any  exotic),  and  fine 
out-arching  specimens  of  the  hardy  Polygonum  Sieboldi 
form  the  most  notable  features  of  the  central  drive.  Palms 
from  regions  comparatively  temperate,  like  the  dwarf  fan 
palm  of  the  south  of  Europe,  the  Palmetto  of  the  Southern 


56  THE   PARC   MONCEAU. 

United  States^  the  Seaforthia^  and  some  others^  bear  the 
open  air  of  summer  without  injury^  and  add  a  very 
striking  and  valuable  aid  to  the  scene.  From  the  cross- 
drive  groups  of  Yuccas,  rather  thinly  placed  in  masses  of 
dwarf  flowers  and  plants,  a  large  specimen  of  the  Angelica 
tree  in  flower,  a  mass  of  the  Papyrus  of  the  Nile,  and 
tall  specimens  of  Colocasia  odorata,  are  the  most  conspicuous 
of  the  objects  that  approach  the  margin. 

Again,  commencing  at  the  Boulevard  Malesherbes  en- 
trance, and  this  time  turning  to  the  left,  we  meet  with 
masses  of  Musa  rosacea,  Blechnum,  Lomaria  magellanica, 
the  older  specimens  with  stems  two  feet  high ;  Nicotiana 
wigandioides ;  a  telling,  dark  bronzy  mass  of  Canna  atro- 
nigricans,  with  some  of  the  larger  leaves  two  feet  long,  and 
the  stems  nearly  seven  feet  high ;  groups  of  Latania  plunged 
in  the  grass ;  and  large  leaved  Begonias  dotted  amongst  dense 
masses  of  Tradescantia  zebrina.  These  Begonias  do  not  grow 
well  enough  to  warrant  their  being  put  out  in  our  latitudes 
except  under  the  most  favourable  conditions.  Next  come 
masses  of  Hibiscus,  rather  sparing  of  their  great  red  flowers ; 
numerous  specimens  of  handsome  plants  isolated  on  the 
grass,  from  double  scarlet  Pomegranates  to  Thuja  aurea 
and  Clianthus  Dampieri ;  masses  of  india-rubber  plants 
with  groundwork  of  mignonette,  of  Wigandia  macrophylla 
with  groundwork  of  Coleus,  of  silvery  Solanum  marginatum 
with  groundwork  of  dwarf  herbaceous  Aster,  of  Tupidanthus 
in  carpet  of  Cuphea,  and  of  variegated  Arundo  in  one  of 
German  Aster.  A  mass  of  Caladium  bataviense,  with 
leaves  three  and  a  half  feet  long  and  dark  stems,  is  very 
imposing.  As  a  foliage  plant,  it  is  second  to  no  other 
employed  in  Parisian  gardens,  though  hitherto  C.  escu- 
lentum  has  generally  been  considered  to  be  the  best.  Here 
there  are  large  masses  of  both  it  and  bataviense.  Usually 
C.  bataviense  makes  leaves  larger  than  C.  esculentum,  and 
as  a  rule  its  leaves  are  the  largest  this  year,  but  the 
biggest  specimens  of  the  year  were  of  esculentum,  of  which 
the  largest  measured  four  feet  seven  inches  long,  bataviense 
reaching  four  feet  one  inch.  C.  esculentum  best  withstands 
the  winds,  the  leaves  of  C.  bataviense  often  getting  broken 


THE   PARC   MONCEAU.  57 

by  them^  so  that  many  of  the  finer  leaves  made  during  the 
season  were  lost  before  September^  their  great  stumps 
showing  how  vigorous  they  had  been.  It  is  usually  and 
firom  the  same  cause  denuded  of  leaves  about  the  base ;  C. 
esculentum  retaining  them.  The  leaf-stalks  of  bataviense 
are  of  a  dark  hiie^  by  which  it  is  easily  distinguished  from 
esculentum  with  its  pale  green  leaf-stalks.  The  stems  of 
bataviense  are  also  much  larger  than  those  of  the  escu- 
lentum^ a  few  of  those  growing  here  being  ten  inches  in 
diameter. 

Of  the  Ficuses  grown  here,  the  best  is  yet  the  old 
F.  elastica ;  but  Chauvieri  is  also  good,  and  Forteana  has 
done  well  this  season,  though  the  Parisian  summers  are 
usually  too  cold  for  it ;  its  leaves  were  fifteen  inches  long. 
Yucca  aloifolia  is  hardy  here.  A  fine  old  plant  of  it,  ten 
feet  high,  and  with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  stem 
naked,  was  in  perfect  health.  Every  winter  the  stem  is 
protected  as  far  as  the  leaves,  and  the  snow  prevented 
firom  remaining  on  these.  Melia  Azederach  is  also  hardy 
here — at  least,  it  has  stood  out  during  the  past  winter; 
and  as  its  large  compound  leaves  would  prove  so  useful  in 
the  flower-garden,  it  should  be  tried  out  in  favourable 
parts  of  England.  Andropogon  formosimi  does  well  here, 
and  a  group  of  Dasylirions  are  plunged  in  the  grass.  The 
Erythrinas  are  a  fine  feature,  the  old  E.  crista-galli  being 
considered  the  best  on  the  whole ;  but  E.  ruberrima  is 
very  fine  firom  its  hue  of  scarlet  and  crimson.  Bocconia 
frutescens  is  five  and  a  half  feet  high,  with  leaves  two  and 
a  half  feet  long ;  and  an  Eucephalartos  is  fine  as  an  isolated 
specimen.  Agave  americana  is  left  in  the  garden  during 
winter  and  protected,  but  with  more  trouble  and  cost  than 
would  be  incurred  by  taking  it  indoors.  A  mode  of  train- 
ing various  flowering  climbers  up  the  stems  of  trees  is 
worthy  of  special  notice.  Clematises,  honeysuckles,  various 
kinds  of  ivy,  everlasting  peas,  and  many  other  kinds  of 
climbing  plants  may  be  used  in  this  way  with  good  ef- 
fect. There  is  one  plant  grown  here  in  quantity,  which  is 
rarely  seen  in  England,  but  which  should  be  in  every 
English    garden — Funkia    subcordata,     a     dwarf,     hardy 


58  THE  PARC   MONCEAU. 

plant   with    snowy   white    flowers    sweeter  than   orange- 
blossom. 

Two  large  carriage  drives,  laid  ont  so  as  to  interfere 
as  little  as  possible  with  the  old  plantations,  run  through 
the  park  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  form  a  continua- 
tion of  the  boulevards  leading  to  it.  These  drives  are 
closed  by  iron  gates  of  a  highly  ornamental  character. 
The  area^of  the  park  is  about  twenty-two  English  acres, 
of  which  thirteen  are  in  turf,  and  five  planted  with  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees,  the  remainder  being  devoted  to  walks  and 
the  small  and  unhappy  piece  of  water.  The  total  cost  of 
alteration  was  over  48,000/.  The  work  was  begun  in  the 
month  of  January,  1861,  and  finished  in  August  of  the 
same  year. 


59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PARC  DBS  BUTTES  CHAUMONT. 

This  is  the  boldest  attempt  at  what  is  called  the  picturesque 
style  that  has  been  attempted  either  in  Paris  or  London. 
It  is  hardly  wise  to  attempt  expensive  and  extraordinary 
works  in  places  of  this  sort^  at  least  till  all  the  densely 
populous  parts  of  a  city  are  provided  with  open^  well-planted 
spaces.  Thus  in  London  it  is  a  mistake  to  devote  great 
expense  to  a  few  parks^  and  leave  so  many  square  miles  of 
population  without  a  green  spot.  But  in  this  instance  an 
unusual  attempt  was  to  some  extent  invited  by  the  peculiar 
nature  of  the  ground.  The  whole  park  may  be  described 
as  a  sort  of  diversified  Primrose  Hill  with  two  or  three 
^' peaks  and  valleys/^  and  an  immense  pile  of  rock  seen 
here  and  there.  At  its  hollow  or  lower  end  there  was  a 
quarry^  and  this  has  been  taken  advantage  of  to  produce  a 
grand  feature.  They  have  cut  all  round  three  sides  of  this 
quarry,  smoothed  it  down,  leaving  intact  the  great  side  of 
stone^  and  adding  to  it  here  and  there  masses  of  artificial 
rock. 

This  forms  a  very^dde  and  imposing  cliff,  164  feet  high, 
or  thereabouts,  in  its  highest  parts,  and  from  these  you 
may  gradually  descend  to  its  base  by  a  rough  stair,  exceed- 
ingly well  constructed,  and  winding  in  and  out  of  the  huge 
rocky  face.  At  the  base  of  the  clifi^,  and  widely  spreading 
round  it,  there  is  a  lake.  This  ponderous  cliff  has  several 
wings/  so  to  speak,  and  in  one  bay  has  been  constructed  a 
lai^e  stalactite  cave,  about  sixty  feet  high  firom  its  floor  to 
the  ceiling,  and  wide  and  imposing  in  proportion.  At  its 
back  part  the  light  is  let  in  through  a  wide  opening,  show- 
ing a  gorge  reminding  one  of  some  of  those  in  the  very  tops 
of  the  Cumberland  mountains,  and  down  this  trickles  the 


60  THE   PARC   DES   BUTTE8   CHAUMONT. 

water  into  the  cave,  ivy  and  suitable  shrubs  being  planted 
along  its  course  above  the  roof  of  the  cave. 

The  effect  is  remarkably  striking,  though  it  is  hardly  the 
kind  of  thing  to  be  recommended  for  a  public  park.  By 
all  means  let  us  leave  the  luxuries  of  gardening  out  of  the 
question,  till  we  have  provided  the  necessaries  for  the  popu- 
lation of  great  towns,  and  these  are  green  lawns,  trees,  and 
wide  open  streets  and  ways,  with  their  necessaiy  conse- 
quence, pure  air.  On  one  of  the  buttes,  or  great  mounds 
here,  they  have  planted  500  or  600  deodars — ^forming  it  a 
hill  of  deodars  in  fact.  This  is  a  mistake,  for  though  Paris 
is  not  as  foggy  as  Spitalfields,  it  is  a  great  city,  as  may  be 
seen  from  this  park,  and  with  many  a  vomiting  chimney 
too,  so  that  the  better  plan  would  be  to  pay  double  atten- 
tion to  deciduous  trees,  using  only  such  evergreens  as  are 
certain  to  grow.  In  one  wide  nook,  perfectly  sheltered  on 
the  three  coldest  sides,  M.  Andre  planted  a  collection  of 
subjects  mostly  tender  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris. 

From  this  park,  the  surroundings  of  which  are  by  no 
means  attractive,  you  can  look  over  nearly  all  Paris. 
The  approach  to  it  firom  the  central  parts  is  shabby  for 
Paris,  and  on  the  way  some  idea  of  what  the  city  was 
before  the  splendid  improvements  of  the  past  ten  years  may 
be  caught ;  but  this  approach,  like  most  objectionable 
things  there,  is  simply  tolerated  till  more  important  ones  are 
finished.  Of  the  quick  way  in  which  they  proceed  with 
them,  the  reader  can  scarcely  have  a  notion.  I  have 
seen  acres  of  land  removed  to  a  depth  of  several  yards 
without  any  fuss,  and  in  a  few  weeks ;  miles  of  trees  planted 
in  the  course  of  a  single  week ;  old  suburbs  blown  up  by 
hundreds  of  mines  a  day,  and  levelled  into  commanding 
terraces  fit  for  princely  mansions.  One  June  day,  bright, 
dry,  and  very  warm,  they  were  planting  trees  in  this  park, 
and  large  ones  too — ^trees  that  required  great  machines  to 
lift  them — while  they  were  marking  the  ground  for  firesh 
plantings.  Do  you  plant  after  this  date?  I  asked.  Every 
day  in  the  year !  Of  the  larger  trees  some  seem  not  to 
take  well,  and  doubtless  in  consequence  of  summer-planting, 
for  which  there  seems  little  excuse. 


THE  PARC  DES  BUTTES  CHAUMONT.       61 

The  entrance  is  not  promising — a  hard-looking  porter's 
lodge^  and  a  mass  of  badly-made  rockwork  face  a  mound^ 
and  from  the  rockwork  springs  an  apparently  quite  un- 
necessary bridge.  The  rockwork  is  bad  because,  although 
superior  in  general  design  to  the  masses  of  burnt  bricks 
that  sometimes  pass  for  it  with  us,  it  shows  radical  faults 
— presumption  and  unnaturalness.  Instead  of  a  true  rock- 
work, something  like  a  very  puny  attempt  at  reproducing 
the  more  insignificant  ribs  of  Monte  Campione  is  the  result 
of  plastering  over  a  heap  of  stones.  A  hole  is  left  here 
and  there  in  this  mass  from  which  may  spring  a  small  pine 
or  an  ivy,  but  the  whole  thing  is  incapable  of  being  di- 
vested of  its  bald  artificial  character.  One-fourth  the 
quantity  of  natural  blocks  of  stone,  visible  through  the 
breaks  in  a  mass  of  evergreens,  would  have  been  far  better. 
By  this  means  one  could  get  the  necessary  elevation,  con- 
cealing the  basis  of  the  stones  with  evergreens  and  trailing 
plants,  and  not  sealing  up  the  thing  with  cement  in  any 
part.  The  plastering  of  the  joints  merely  makes  the 
"  rocks  '^  look  truly  artificial,  especially  when  it  begins  to 
drop  out. 

Bold  high  green  mounds  meet  us  immediately  after  pass- 
ing under  the  ugly  bridge  at  the  entrance — here  and  there 
patched  with  very  presentable  shrubs — as  is  not  rarely  the 
case  in  Paris  gardens.  One  girdle  seems  to  bind  both  French 
and  English,  however,  as  regards  the  compact  and  formal 
outlines  of  these  shrubberies  and  plantings.  We  know 
very  well  that  in  nature  nothing  of  the  kind  ever  occurs; 
that  away  from  the  wood  strays  the  clump  of  low  shrubs 
which  do  not  seem  to  be  gregarious  like  their  pillared  fellows 
of  the  forest;  that  indeed  anything  like  straitlacing  is 
unseen.  Why  then  should  we  draw  a  cordon  of  regularity 
and  sameness  round  our  shrubberies  in  the  shape  of  a  line 
of  some  showy  flower,  making  the  whole  thing  change- 
less as  possible?  What  caUs  for  this  definiteness?  I 
know  not  unless  it  be  that  the  mowing  machine  may  have 
the  less  trouble  in  cutting  the  grass  around.  Imagine  the 
British  Museum  or  the  Louvre  arranged  chiefly  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  dusters  I     The  sooner  everybody  having  the 


62  THE   PAKC   D£S   BUTTES   CHAUMONT. 

interests  of  &:ardenin&:  in  mind  proclaims  that  variety  and 
not  fonnaUl^  should'be  the  aJof  aU  high  gardening,  the 
better  for  tibe  progress  of  the  art.  In  their  clumps  the 
French  seem  as  straitlaced  as  ourselves^  but  in  the  newer 
gardens  they  have  adopted  a  system  of  dotting  about  single 
specimens  of  individual  beauty,  which  is  very  successful  in 
bLking  up  fonnalism,  and  is  ;eU  worthy  oTindtation. 

The  chief  feature  of  the  place^  as  previously  indicated^  is 
the  great  cliffy  and  unhappily  the  chief  feature  of  the  rock 
is  plaster.  You  can  hardly  approach  it  in  any  place  with- 
out perceiving  the  seams  of  plaster  giving  out^  and  where 
this  is  not  the  case  it  is  all  palpably  plastered.  And  why  ? 
Perhaps  the  plasterer  who  made  it  could  supply  a  reason ; 
but^  whether  he  can  or  not^  the  sooner  plasterers  are  dis- 
pensed with  as  imitators  of  nature  in  her  grandest  workings 
the  better.  There  never  was  in  a  garden  such  a  chance 
of  presenting  walls  of  rock-plants  almost  as  striking  and  inte- 
resting as  those  one  meets  with  in  the  pass  over  the  Simplon ; 
yet  it  is  entirely  lost.  By  leaving  the  chinks  and  filling 
them  here  and  there  with  turf,  by  chopping  back  or  leaving 
the  face  of  the  high  rocks  sloping  in  some  places  so  that 
they  would  be  well  exposed  to  the  rainfall,  by  trickling  a 
little  streamlet  over  the  face  of  the  cliiSs  here  and  there, 
and  by  scattering  a  few  packets  of  seeds  over  the  face  of  the 
cliffs  in  spring,  they  would  have  given  rise  to  an  alpine 
vegetation  of  great  beauty.  The  great  long-leaved  Saxi- 
frage of  the  Pyrenees  might  have  spread  forth  its  silvery 
rosettes  here,  so  might  its  smaller  relatives,  its  big  brother 
of  the  Piedmontese  valleys,  and  little  Campanulas,  ThymeSj 
Erinuses,  Brooms,  Stonecrops,  Houseleeks  of  many  kinds, 
with  hundreds  of  the  prettiest  plants  of  northern  and  tem- 
perate climes  might  have  been  grown  here.  Now  aU  is 
daubed  over  and  plantless,  save  a  bit  of  ivy  and  wiry 
grass  in  some  few  spots ;  and  the  face  of  the  high  rocks  is 
suggestive  of  little  but  suicide. 

One  of  the  few  attempts  to  cultivate  alpine  plants  out 
of  pots  that  I  have  ever  seen  made  in  France  is  here,  but 
it  has  been  done  on  a  mistaken  principle.  A  tasteful  and 
desirable  practice  in  some  of  the  newer  gardens  and  parks 


THE  PAEC  DES   BUTTES   CHAUMONT.  63 

of  Paris^  is  that  of  conducting  a  tiny  streamlet  irregularly 
through  the  grass^  and  bordering  it  with  water  and  marsh 
plants ;  here  there  are  a  few  examples  of  it  for  the  most 
part  creditable.  In  one  case^  however^  the  streamlet  in- 
stead of  coming  from  any  probable  source  of  higher  rock  or 
brushwood^  starts  out  of  a  plastered  hole  in  the  grass^  in  a 
way  one  cannot  admire.  By  the  side  of  this  and  a  neigh- 
bouring streamlet  alpine  plants  are  placed^  to  grow  here 
and  there  in  little  beds  along  the  stream^  and  indeed  now 
and  then  on  a  plastered  spot  in  the  middle.  They  are 
associated  with  such  lowland  marsh  plants  as  the  loose- 
strife; and  in  one  instance  a  willow  had  started  up  and 
shaded  some  choice  dwarf  Saxifrages  and  Rhododendrons. 
It  is  creditable  to  attempt  the  cultivation  of  these  plants 
here^  but  alpine  plants  can  never  be  grown  thus.  If  they 
could^  it  would  be  difficult  to  enjoy  their  native  beauty  or  their 
tiny  character  alternated  with  such  things  as  the  bullrush 
and  the  flag !  With  the  supply  of  water  that  these  parks 
command^  nothing  coidd  be  easier  than  the  creation  of  a 
rocky  mound  healthfully  covered  with  true  alpine  plants. 
However^  as  no  English  landscape  gardener  has  yet  pre- 
sented us  with  a  rockwork  well  covered  with  its  proper 
ornaments^  instead  of  merely  ivy,  Virginian  creeper,  &c.,  it 
would  be  captious  to  find  fault  with  the  French  for  failing 
in  a  branch  which  requires  so  much  taste  and  knowledge  of 
plants.  Not  a  few  of  the  minor  masses  of  rock — and  there 
are  many  of  them — are  in  better  taste ;  and  being  less  pon- 
derous, they  will  some  day  no  doubt  display  the  plant  life  with- 
out which  a  rockwork  is  a  poor  affair.  A  piece  of  very  bad 
taste  is  shown  in  bringing  a  cafe  right  to  the  edge  of  the 
walk  commanding  one  of  the  best  views  of  the  rocks  and 
water.  Restaurants  Vnd  refreshment  places  are  wanted, 
but  they  should  not  be  thrust  in  face  of  the  most  impor- 
tant spots.  People  should  never  go  to  such  places  for 
the  sake  of  the  cafe,  however  interesting  it  might  be  as  an 
accessory.  There  are  unobtrusive  and  readily  accessible 
positions  where  they  may  be  situated. 

One  feature  deserves  denunciation — ^the  glaring  way  in 
which  the  walks  are  exposed.     There  can  hardly  be  two 


64 


THE   PAEC   DE8   BDTTK8    CBAUHONT. 


opmions  about  the  desirability  of  concealtng  the  valka  of  a 
naturally  disposed  garden  as  much  as  may  be  conTeuient. 
A  marked  feature  iu  many  uew  French  gardeus  is  the  war 
they  are  exposed.   In  the  plans  of  the  best  French  landscape- 


gardeners  it  is  quite  ridiculoiu  to  sec  the  way  the  walks 
wind  about  in  symmetrical  twirliugSj  and,  when  they  have 
entwined  themselves  through  every  sweep  of  torf  in  the 
place,  seem  to  long  for  more  spaces  to  writhe  about  in. 
Most  glaring  instances  of  this  are  seen  here,  and  parti- 
cularly on  the  top,  the  highest  rock,  where  a  small  temple 
is  seated. 

Near  one  of  the  entrances,  here  ia  a  mixture  of  Indigo- 
fera  Bosua  and  the  holly-leaved  Mahonia,  the  first  pre- 
dominating and  full  of  flower  in  summer,  having  the 
delicate  beauty  and  profusion  of  flowers   characteristic   oF 


THK  PARC  DBS  BUTTES  CHAUMONT.       65 

New  Holland^  and  greenhonse  plants :  it  is  worthy  of 
being  extensively  used  with  us^  and  Indigofera  floribunda 
should  be  everywhere  used  as  a  flower-garden  wall  plant. 
There  is  not  much  in  the  summer  decoration  of  the  place 
that  is  worthy  of  note.  Some  kinds  of  Cannas  in  flower 
look  almost  as  showy  as  beds  of  Gladioli^  but  their  real 
value  will  always  be  greatest  as  fine-leaved  ornaments. 
The  common  artichoke  was  very  effective  in  one  spot  as 
an  isolated  specimen  of  a  '^  foliage  plant/'  nothing 
being  finer  than  the  nobly  formed  silvery  leaves  of  this 
plant.  Indeed^  there  is  nothing  to  surpass  it  among  sub- 
jects suited  for  single  specimens  on  the  green  grass.  A 
well-developed  example  would  be  suflScient  in  a  private 
garden ;  and  if  nobody  else  plants  it^  schools  of  art  would 
find  it  to  their  advantage  to  have  a  specimen  of  it  some- 
where near  at  hand. 

The  Pare  des  Buttes  Chaumont  was  made  on  the  site  of 
old  and  abandoned  plaster  quarries.  It  forms  a  curvilinear 
triangle^  having  an  area  of  nearly  forty-five  acres  included 
between  the  Rue  de  Crimee  and  two  boulevards  running 
between  Belleville  and  Puebla.  Before  the  park  was  made^ 
the  ground^  which  was  divided  by  the  Chemin  de  Fer  de 
Ceinture  and  the  Rue  Fessard,  was  an  arid  wilderness  of 
clay  mounds  and  of  excavations  left  by  the  quarrymen, 
many  of  which  were  so  deep  as  to  form  miniature  pre- 
cipices. It  was  proposed  to  turn  this  waste  into  a  public 
promenade  by  taking  advantage  of  the  natural  irregularities 
of  the  ground,  by  forming  paths,  laying  turf,  and  making  a 
piece  of  water.  To  obtain  this  result,  the  natural  hollows  of 
the  ground  in  the  part  nearest  to  Paris  were  deepened,  paths 
leading  to  the  top  of  the  hills  and  mounds  were  laid  down, 
the  general  surface  was  made  more  regular  and  covered 
with  garden  earth  and  flower-beds,  and  plantations  were 
formed  where  necessary.  The  improvements  made  were  of 
an  important  character  only  as  far  as  it  was  necessary 
to  bring  the  boundary  of  the  park  into  harmony  with  the 
Boulevard  de  Ceinture,  which  runs  through  a  trench  nearly 
sixty  feet  deep.  The  other  portion  of  the  park,  in  which 
are  situated  the  cutting  through  which  the  Chemin  de  Fer  de 


66  THE   PARC   DES   BUTTES   CHAUMONT. 

Ceinture  passes^  and  the  old  plaster  quarries^  wliicli  now 
forms  the  most  picturesque  part^  necessitated  works  of  a 
much  more  considerable  cost. 

The  line  of  rocks,  which  in  some  places  are  much  over  100 
feet  in  perpendicular  height,  was  luckily  terminated  by  a 
craggy  promontory  looking  down  into  the  old  excavations. 
This  promontory  was  separated  from  the  general  mass  in 
such  a  way  as  to  form  an  isolated  rock  rising  out  of  the  lake 
which  surrounded  it  on  all  sides.  The  lake  is  supplied  by 
two  rivulets  which  run  through  the  two  valleys  of  the 
park.  One  of  them  flows  out  of  the  lower  wall  of  the 
upper  boulevard,  and  falls  down  into  a  large  cavern  forming 
a  cascade  over  100  feet  in  height.  The  wall  and  grotto 
were  formed  to  support  the  neighbouring  land  towards 
Belleville  which  was  gradually  falling  into  the  excavations 
left  in  the  quarries.  The  marly  soil  which  lies  above  the 
gypsum  in  a  layer  of  forty-eight  feet  thick,  the  slightly  sloping 
surface  of  which  was  gradually  crumbling  away  under  the 
action  of  the  air,  has  been  dug  out  so  as  to  allow  the  slopes 
to  sustain  the  mould  forming  the  plantations.  At  the 
highest  point  of  the  promontory,  however,  where  it  was 
necessary  to  have  a  bold  mass  of  rock  hanging  over  the 
water,  an  embankment  of  masonry  built  in  imitation  of  the 
rocks  at  the  base  has  been  found  necessary  to  support  the 
crumbling  soil.  A  suspension  bridge  more  than  200  feet 
long  thrown  over  the  lake  and  the  path  surrounding  it 
joins  this  portion  of  the  park  to  the  other,  and  obviates  the 
necessity  of  a  long  walk  round.  A  large  number  of  carriage 
roads  twenty-two  feet  wide,  the  inclines  rarely  reaching 
6  in  100,  allow  carriages  to  drive  all  over  the  park  in  spite 
of  the  great  difference  of  level  existing  in  various  parts. 

The  paths,  whose  inclination  seldom  exceeds  10  in  J  00, 
but  which  are  sometimes  cut  into  steps,  afford  foot-passengers 
the  means  of  making  short  cuts  between  the  carriage-drives 
in  order  to  reach  the  heights  of  the  park  more  expeditiously. 
Four  bridges  have  been  built  over  some  of  the  deeper  hollows, 
also  a  wire  bridge  has  been  thrown  across  the  railway,  a 
stone  bridge,  forty  feet  in  span  and  sixty  feet  high,  above 
a  road  and  a  small  arm  of  the  lake,  the  suspension  bridge 


THE   PARC   DES   BUTTES   CHAUMONT.  67 

already  mentioned^  and  a  skew  bridge  fifty-six  feet  in  span, 
made  of  iron  resting  on  stone  piers. 

The  park  being  surrounded  by  large  roads  is  enclosed 
with  an  open  iron  railing,  so  that  the  view  is  never  ob- 
structed. Besides  this,  wherever  it  has  been  possible,  the 
garden  has  been  so  arranged  as  to  be  looked  down  upon 
firom  the  boulevards  above.  The  boulevard  itself  is  supported 
by  a  wall  forming  a  terrace  over  one  part  of  the  park,  upon 
which  it  looks  down  almost  perpendicularly  over  an  escarp- 
ment 120  feet  high.  The  water  which  supplies  the  cascades 
and  the  pipes  by  which  the  garden  is  watered  is  pumped  by 
a  special  engine  belonging  to  the  Canal  de  TOurcq  into  a 
reservoir  situated  at  the  side  of  the  upper  boulevard  which 
surrounds  the  park.  As  for  the  end  of  the  park  nearest  to 
Paris,  it  is,  on  the  contrary,  much  higher  than  the  boule- 
vards. It  has  therefore  been  laid  out  in  such  a  way  as  not 
to  interfere  with  the  panorama  of  Paris  seen  above  the  tops 
of  the  houses  which  will  be  built  in  the  intervening 
thoroughfares.  The  works,  which  were  commenced  early  in 
1864,  are  now  finished.  The  cost  of  the  bridges,  roads,  and 
gardens  amounted  to  something  near  120,000/.  The  archi- 
tectural work,  including  a  first-class  and  two  second-class 
restaurants,  one  double  and  eight  single  park-keeper's  lodges, 
a  rotunda,  and  the  surrounding  railing,  will  amount  to 
nearly  20,000/.,  making  the  entire  cost  close  upon  140,000/. 


f2 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE   lABDIK    OES   PLANTEB    AND   THE    GAKDENS   OF  THE 
LUXEHBOVBG. 

We  bave  nothing  in  the  Britinh  Isles  like  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes.  It  is  half  zoological,  half  hotanical,  and  nearly 
surrounded  by  museanu  containing  vast  zoological,  bo- 
tanical, and  mineralogical  collections.  The  portion  entirely 
devoted  to  botany  is  laid  out  in  the  straigbt,  regular  style, 
vhile  the  part 
^°-  'S.  in   which   are 

the  numerous 
i  buildings     for 
I  the  vild  ani< 
I  nial8,has  wind- 
I  iog  walks,  and 
le     trifling 
I  diTersity   here 
I  and  there.  The 
I  place  is  really 
an    important 
school  of  sci- 
ence,   and    as 

CoDBerratorieB  and  Htueumi  in  th«  J&rdin  des  Fl&atea.  Slich  it  IS  great 
and  useful.  In 
addition  to  able  lecturers  on  botany,  culture,  and  allied 
matters,  there  are,  1  believe,  a  dozen  on  vsrions  other  scien< 
tific  subjects,  some  of  these  gentlemen  being  among  the 
ablest  and  most  famous  naturalists  in  Europe.  Here  Buffon, 
Cuvier,  Jussieu,  and  other  great  men  have  worked  j  and 
here  at  the  present  day,  even  in  minor  departments,  are 
many  men  of  veil  known  ability. 

Although  the  Jardin  dea  Plantes  is  quite  inferior  in  point 


TBB   JAEDIN    DES    PLANTES. 


of  beauty  to  any  of  our  large  BritislL  botanic  gardens^  it  coq- 
tsins  some  features  vtucb  migbt  be  introduced  to  them  with 
the   greatest   adTantage.     Its 
chief  merits  are  that  its  planu  ^"'-  ^'■ 

are  better  named  than  in  any 
British  garden ;  it  possesses 
several  arrangements  vhich 
enable  the  student  to  see  con- 
veniently, and  most  correctly, 
all  obtainable  useful  plants 
infinitely  better  than  in  any 
British  botanic  garden ;  and  it 
displays  very  fully  the  vegeta- 
tion of  temperate  and  northern 
dimes,  and  consequently,  that 
in  irfaich  we  are  the  most 
interested,  and  which  is  the 
most  important  for  us.  Its 
chief  faults  are  that  it  has  a 

bad  position  in  an  out-of-tbe-way  part  of  the  town ;  the 
greater  part  of  its  surface  is  covered  with  plants  scien< 
tifically  disposed  ;  the  houses 
are  poor  and  badly  arranged 
compared  to  those  in  our  own 
good  botanic  gardens ;  and 
there  is  no  green  turf  to  be 
seen  in  its  open  and  impor- 
tant parts.  It  has,  in  addi- 
tion, a  very  bad  atmosphere 
for  pines  and  evergreens,  and 
there  is  a  ridiculous  kind  of 
maze  on  the  top  of  an  other- 
wise not  objectionable  mound. 
Half  way  up  this  elevation 
stands  a  tolerably  good  Cedar 
of  Lebanon,  the  first  ever 
planted  in  France.  It  was  planted  by  Jussieu,  to  whom 
it  was  given  by  Gie  English  botanist  Collinson.  Beyond 
this    there  is  not  much  tree-beauty  in    the   Jardin  des 


the  Jardin  del  FbolM. 


THE   JARDIN   DE8   FLANTE8. 


PlaDteB.     There  are  fine  collections  of  palms  and  oAer 
subjects  of  mudi  importance  for  a  botanic  garden,  and  the 
house  collections  are  on  the 
whole   good,  but  the    plants 
-  in  a  great  many  cases  are  very 

diminutive  and  poorly  deve- 
loped, therefore  ne  will  pass 
them  by. 

There  is  one  admirable 
feature  which  must  not  be 
forgotten,  and  that  is  the 
fine  collection  of  pear 
trees.  M.  Cappe  has  had 
charge  of  this  section  for 
about  thirty-five  years,  and 
is  DOW  a  very  old  man,  but 
still  he  attends  to  his  trees, 
and  has  them  in  fine  condi- 
tion, though  contending  with 
much  difficulty,  because  the 
space  upon  which  the  trees 
stand  is  really  not  enongh  for  one-half  the  number,  and 
thus  he  is  obliged  to  keep  lines  of  little  trees  between  and 
under  big  ones,  and  so  on.  There  are  few  things  in  the 
horticidtural  way  about  Paris  better  worth  notice  than  this 
collection  of  pears. 

Kemarking  that  they  have  a  graceful  way  of  comme- 
morating great  naturalists  by  naming  after  them  the  streets 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  garden,  I  will 
pass  OQ  to  the  more  important  feature  of  the  garden  ;  that 
is,  its  very  extensive  and  well  named  collection  of  hardy 
plants.  The  only  species  of  Pelai^onium  that  ventures 
into  Europe  (P.  Endlicherianum)  is  grown  here,  and  it  is 
quite  hardy.  The  first  of  the  principal  arrangements  of 
hardy  herbaceous  plants,  &c.,  is  a  curious  and  distinct  one. 
It  is  simply  two  large  and  wide  spaces  planted  with 
masses  of  ornamental  species ;  and  looks  pretty  well> 
though  far  from  being  arranged  in  a  way  to  develope  fully 
the  beauty  of  its  contents.    Edgings  composed  of  the  sevend 


Jtrdio  dei  PUntea. 


THE   JARDIK    DKS   PLANTE8. 


71 


rarieties  of  Iris  pumila  look  well  ia  early  spring,  and 
many  plants  are  nsed  for  edging  Trhicli  we  are  not  accus- 
tomed to  see  so  employed  in  England.  Thus  the  good 
double  variety  of  Lychnis  Viscaria  has  been  very  pretty  as 


an  edging,  and  so  has  the  neat,  bright,  and  pnre  white 
Silene  alpestris — an  alpine  plant  not  half  so  popnlar  as  it 
ought  to  be,  though  I  observe  that  some  seedsmen,  while 
not  offering  it,  sell  a  pretty  Cur  proportion  of  the   weeds 


72  THE   JARDIN   BBS   PLAKTES. 

that  belong  to  the  genus.  Then  there  is  a  large  space  de- 
voted to  plants  used  for  the  decoration  of  the  parterre^  all 
or  chiefly  tender  plants  or  annuals.  This  is  not  so  suc- 
cessful or  useful  as  some  of  the  other  arrangements^  though 
it  displays  numbers  of  popular  ornamental  subjects. 

Let  us  pass  on  to  a  large  division  devoted  to  the  culture 
of  plants  used  as  food^  and  in  commerce.  It  is  at  once 
successful^  useful^  and  complete.  The  chief  varieties  of  all 
garden  crops^  from  Radishes  to  Kidney  Beans^  are  to  be 
seen ;  the  various  species  of  Rhubarb^  all  important  varie- 
ties of  Lettuce — ^in  a  word,  everything  that  the  learner 
could  desire  to  see  in  this  way.  It  is  not  merely  the  plan 
of  the  thing  that  is  sensible  and  good,  but  its  carrying  out. 
The  annuals  are  regularly  raised  and  put  out ;  the  ground 
is  kept  perfectly  clean,  and  it  is,  in  fact,  the  best  place  I 
have  ever  seen  in  which  to  become  acquainted  with  usdful 
plants.  Such  arrangements  well  carried  out,  and  cut  oflF  by 
judicious  planting  from  the  general  verdure  and  chief  area 
of  any  of  our  great  public  gardens,  would  be  of  the 
greatest  service.  The  ground  is  thrown  into  beds  about 
six  feet  wide,  and  each  kind  is  allotted  six  feet  run  of  the 
bed.  The  sweet  potato  is  grown  here,  as  indeed  are  all 
interesting  plants  that  may  be  grown  in  the  open  air. 

Below  this  arrangement,  and  near  the  river  end  of  the 
garden,  is  another  very  interesting  division.  It  is  chiefly 
devoted  to  medicinal  and  useful  plants  of  all  kinds,  arranged 
in  a  distinct  way.  First  we  have  the  Sorghums,  Millets, 
Wheats,  and  Cereals  generally — all  plants  cultivated  for 
their  grains  or  seeds.  Then  come  plants  cultivated  for 
their  stems,  from  Polymnia  edulis  to  UUucus  tuberosum. 
Next  we  have  the  chief  species  and  varieties  of  Onion,  such 
plants  as  Urtica  utilis,  the  Dahnatian  Pyrethrum  rigidum, 
and  in  a  word  almost  everything  likely  to  interest  in  this 
way,  from  Lactuca  perennis  to  the  esculent  Hibiscus. 
Here  again  the  plants  are  well  named  and  kept  clear  and 
distinct,  each  having  full  room  to  devdope,  the  general 
space  devoted  to  the  subject  being  sufficiently  large ;  and 
the  practice  of  giving  each  plant  a  certain  portion  of  the 
whole  breadth  of  each  bed  to  itself  is  better  than  the  more 


THE   JABDIN   DES   PLANTES.  73 

ax)wded  arrangements  adopted  in  our  British  botanic  gar- 
dens. All  these  divisions  we  have  just  passed  through 
cover  an  oblong  expanse  of  ground^  the  effect  of  which  is 
of  course  anything  but  beautiful  from  an  ornamental  point 
of  view ;  but  yet,  in  consequence  of  the  ground  being  well 
kept,  each  subject  grown  well  and  vigorously,  and  all  the 
squares  bordered  with  roses  and  summer  flowering  plants, 
the  efiect  is  better  than  might  be  expected.  This  great 
oblong  space  is  bordered  on  each  side  by  double  rows  of 
lime  trees  planted  by  Buffon.  Between  these  are  wide 
walks,  agreeably  shady  on  hot  days. 

The  second  great  oblong  space  to  the  north  is  entirely 
devoted  to  the  school  of  botany,  and  this  is  simply  a  large 
portion  of  ground  planted  on  the  natural  system,  remark- 
able for  the  correctness  of  its  nomenclature  and  the  rich- 
ness of  its  collection.  Here  again  everything  is  well  taken 
care  of  and  kept  distinct ;  the  aquatics  are  furnished  with 
o&aaented  troughs,  in  which  they  do  quite  luxuriantly^ 
one  of  the  singular  and  handsome  Sacred  Beans  (Nelum- 
bium  speciosum),  and  Limnocharis  Humboldtii  being  well 
grown  in .  the  open  air.  The  whole  is  most  satisfactory, 
with  one  exception — that  they  place  out  the  greenhouse 
and  stove  plants  in  summer  to  complete  the  natural  orders. 
These  poor  plants  are  stored  pell-mell  in  winter  in  a  great 
orangery,  fipom.  which  they  are  taken  out  in  early  summer 
literally  more  dead  than  alive.  They  make  a  few  leaves 
daring  the  summer,  and  are  again  put  into  their  den  to 
sicken  or  die.  The  medicinal  and  other  plants  for  special 
uses  are  indicated  by  variously  coloured  labels. 

Among  manyhandsome  hardyplants  which  I  met  with  here, 
and  which  are  deserving  of  being  more  largely  grown  with 
us,  are  Hibiscus  militaris,  Crambe  juncea, Verbascum  vemale, 
Heracleum  latisectum.  Yucca  lutescens,  flexilis,  Treculeana, 
angustifolia  and  stricta  (all  hardy),  Spiraea  decumbens.  Iris 
nudicaulis.  Antirrhinum  rupestre,  Merendera  Bulbocodium, 
0>lchicum  montanum,  Magydaris  panacina.  Sorghum  hala- 
pense,  Panicum  bulbosum,  altissimum,  and  virgatum,  Epi- 
lobiom  sericeum,  Gundelia  Toumefortii,  Dahlia  arborea, 
imperialism  and  Decaisneana  (out  only  during  the  summer  of 


74  THE   JARDIN   DES   PLANTES. 

course).  Datura  fastuosa  alba-duplex,  Pyrethrum  Tchihat- 
chewii,  of  the  south  of  Europe — a  capital  plant  for  covering 
the  dryest  of  banks  with  dark  green ;  it  is  very  low  in 
habit,  produces  white  flowers  in  spring,  and  for  banks 
and  other  positions  so  dry  and  arid  that  grass  or  anything 
else  fails  to  grow  upon  them,  it  will  probably  prove  highly 
useful.  Anemone  alba,  Ficaria  calthoefolia,  Echinophora  tenui- 
folia,  a  graceful  umbelliferous  plant  with  hoary  leaves ;  Gly- 
ceria  Michauxii,  a  pretty  grass ;  and  a  collection  of  the  genus 
Asparagus,  among  which  one,  A.  Broussonetii,  is  remarkable 
for  its  great  vigour  and  rapidity  of  growth — ^it  quickly 
runs  up  with  dense  vigour  to  a  height  of  ten  feet  in  spring, 
its  foliage  is  glossy  and  dense,  and  it  might  be  used  with 
success  as  a  covering  for  bowers  or  to  make  pyramids  in  a 
highly  diversified  garden  of  hardy  plants,  and  of  course  it 
would  be  valuable  in  such  a  place  as  the  subtropical 
garden  at  Battersea  Park.  Asparagus  tenuifolius  is  as 
graceful  and  elegant  as  the  one  before-named  is  vigorous 
and  rampant  in  its  climbing  power. 

Iris  Monnieri,  of  Western  Asia,  is  a  really  fine,  bright 
yellow  kind.  Among  the  larger  Compositae  are  some  likely 
to  prove  useful  for  the  subtropical  garden ;  notably  Bha- 
ponticum  scariosum,  and  cynarioides.  Serratida  pinnatifida 
is  elegant  in  leaf;  and  particularly  fine  is  a  silvery-leaved 
Tanacetum  (T.  elegans),  with  finely  divided  and  elegant 
frond-like  leaves.  Dipsacus  laciniatus  is  fine  in  its  line 
when  well  grown,  and  it  will  prove  really  well  worth  raising 
annually,  somewhat  like  the  Castor-oil  plants,  for  the 
garden  where  distinction  is  desired.  Sideritis  syriaca  is 
hardy  here,  and  fairly  tried  might  make  a  useful  edging 
plant  in  the  way  of  Gnaphalium  lanatum,  than  which  it  is 
a  shade  more  silvery.  Phlomis  herba-venti  is  a  pretty 
and  distinct  herbaceous  plant,  medium-sized,  and  Eremo- 
stachys  iberica  is  a  yellow  species,  well  worthy  of  associa- 
tion with  laciniata.  Acantholimon  venustum  is  prettier 
and  more  elegant  than  the  admired  A.  glumaceum,  the 
dwarf  cushion  of  leaves  being  of  a  glaucous  tone,  and  the 
large  rose-coloured  flowers  being  well  thrown  out  on  bold 
graceful  stems ;  it  is  one  of  the  prettiest  dwarf  plants  I 


THE  JARDIN  DBS  PLANTES.  75 

have  ever  seen^  and  for  a  well  made  and  tasteful  rockwork  it 
will  prove  one  of  the  best  summer  ornaments.  Geranium 
platypetalum  is  very  good  here,  and  one  of  the  best  of  the 
family.  Erodium  carvifolium  is  so  elegantly  cut  that  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  place  it  beside  Thalictrum  minus^ 
from  which  it  is,  of  course,  quite  distinct  in  character. 

There  is  a  capital  collection  of  the  very  neat  Semper- 
vivum  family,  planted  in  the  open  air,  where  they  do  re- 
markably weU.  Seseli  gummiferum  is  a  pretty  umbelliferous 
plant,  of  a  peculiarly  distinct  and  pleasing  glaucous  hue. 
Thapsia  villosa  is  also  fine,  and  so  is  Aralia  edulis.  Vida 
tenuifoUa  formosa  is  a  very  handsome  climber;  and  Orobus 
rosea  is  one  of  the  most  elegant  and  pretty  of-  its  family, 
having  arching  and  drooping  shoots,  and  being  well  suited 
for  a  large  rockwork.  There  are  many  others  in  various 
departments,  but  as  the  subject  is  not  of  interest  to  a  very 
wide  class,  it  must  not  be  enlarged  upon  further. 

For  the  information  of  curators  of  botanic  gardens,  and 
those  taking  a  botanical  interest  in  curious  plants,  I  may 
state  that  Cuscuta  major  is  luxuriantly  grown  here  upon  the 
nettle,  C.  Epithymum  upon  Calliopsis  tinctoria,  C.  Engel- 
manii  upon  a  Solidago,  and  Orobanche  grows  upon  Hemp. 
I  have  grown  O.  minor  upon  perennial  Clovers,  and  O.  He- 
derse  may  be  readily  grown  upon  the  Ivy  at  the  bottom  of  a 
wall  (I  once  saw  it  growing  freely  on  the  top  of  a  wall  near 
Lucan,  in  Ireland) ;  so  that  there  ought  not  to  be  the  diffi- 
culty which  our  botanic  gardeners  find  in  growing  these 
curious  plants.  Orobanche  ramosa  is  also  grown  here  upon 
Calliopsis  tinctoria.  The  safest  way  with  the  Orobanches 
is  to  scrape  away  the  soil  till  you  come  near  the  root  of  the 
plant  on  which  you  intend  it  to  be  parasitical,  and  then  sow 
the  seed. 

A  very  old  and  fine  pair  of  dwarf  fan  palms,  given  to 
Louis  XrV.  by  Charles  III.,  Margrave  de  Bade,  are  usually 
placed  in  summer  one  at  each  side  of  the  entrance  of  the  am- 
phitheatre. They  have  straight  clean  stems,  and  are  more 
than  twenty  feet  high.  They  escape  the  notice  of  many 
visitors,  but  are  well  worth  seeing  by  all  plant-lovers,  not 
only  from  their  age,  but  their  exceptional  height.  Should  any 


76 


THB  LUXEHBOCBO  GAEDBH. 


Fio.  31. 


visitor  to  the  Jardin  dee  Plantes  wonder  at  the  poor  external 
aspect  of  its  houses  and  some  other  features  as  compared 
with  those  at  Kew,  he  would 
do  well  to  bear  in  mind  that 
money  has  a  good  deal  to  do 
vith  such  things ;  and  that  the 
grant    for  museums,   lecturers 
(the  lectures  are  free),  the  ex- 
pensive collection   of   animals, 
and    everjilhiitg    else    in    the 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  is  miserably 
small.     On  the  other  hand,  the 
gardens  and  plants  of  La  Yille 
de  Paris    are  plentifully  pro- 
vided with  money;   the  muni- 
cipality of  Paris  often  spending 
ThB  Amphithemtre  in  the  J.rfin  d«i  prodigious    Bums    for  the  pur- 
PlantoB.    On  e&ch  tide  of  the  en-  chase  of  plants,  aud  even  for  the 
traoce  there  ia »  verj  UU  and  old     ,      ^  ,  ^.  -  ,    .    n 

■pecimeti  of  the  "  dwarf  fan  palm."  plant  decoratiou  01  a  Single  ball. 

One  ball  at  the  Hotel  de  Yille 

during  the  festivities  of  1867  cost  considerably  over  80,000/., 

while  the  poor  Jardin  des  Plantes  gets  &om  the  State  not  more 

than  one-third  of  that  sum  to  exist  upon  for  a  whole  year. 


The  iMxembourg  Garden. 

The  beautiiiil  old  garden  attached  to  the  Palais  du  Luxem- 
bourg— the  favourite  resort  for  many  years  of  the  Parisians 
of  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine — has  lately  been  almoat  entirely 
remodelled,  much  to  the  indignation  of  the  Parisian  public 
and  journalists ;  but  it  is  still  a  pretty  garden.  Geometrical 
gardens  are  seldom  capable  of  afTurdtug  anyprolonged  interest 
or  refreshing  beauty ;  very  rarely  so  much  so  as  that  of  the 
Luxembou]^.  Before  the  recent  alterations  there  was  a  good 
botanic  garden — an  irregular  sort  of  English  garden,  which 
the  French  call  the  "  never  to  be  forgotten  nursery" — and 
much  miscellaneous  interest  now  passed  away.  At  present 
matters  are  much  more  concentrated,  and  we  shall  find  leas 
to  speak  of  than  of  old,  but  yet  enough  to  make  the  place 


THE   LTJXEMBOTJRG   GARDEN.  77 

worth  a  short  notice.  The  garden  used  to  be  famed  for 
its  roses,  and  for  perhaps  the  largest  collection  of  vines  ever 
accumulated^  but  recent  changes  have  altered  all  this.  The 
vines  were  removed  bodily  to  the  Jardin  d'Acclimatation,  in 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  and  thus  it  lost  some  of  its  interest. 
The  glass-house  department,  however,  retains  most  of  its 
attractions,  and  to  the  horticultural  visitor  will  present  a 
good  deal  of  interest.  It  contains  the  best  collection  of 
Orchids  in  any  public  garden  about  Paris,  fine  Camellia- 
houses  in  which  the  specimens  attain  great  perfection,  and 
miscellaneous  collections.  The  object  and  limits  of  this 
book  will  not  permit  us  to  enter  into  particulars  of  this 
department,  and  therefore  we  will  go  in  the  open  air  and 
look  at  the  broader  features  of  the  scene. 

Usually  in  geometrical  gardens  the  portion  nearest  the 
building  is  a  terrace  commanding  the  surroundings — here, 
on  the  contrary,  the  part  nearest  the  palace  and  stretching 
away  fi'om  its  face  is  a  basin  flanked  by  balustraded  terraces. 
Above  these  terraces  are  seen  numerous  marble  statues  and 
horse-chestnut  groves.  The  lower  portion,  however,  is  from 
a  gardening  point  of  view  the  most  interesting,  and  we  will 
glance  at  the  mode  of  decoration  pursued  therein. 

The  grass  banks  that  rise  from  the  lower  garden  to  the 
balustrade — such  slopes  as  may  be  seen  in  most  places  of 
the  kind — are  not  left  naked,  but  planted  with  two  rows  of 
dwarf  rose  bushes,  and  the  effect  of  these  is  very  pretty. 
There  seems  no  particular  reason  why  like  spots  should  be 
left  naked  with  us.  Continuous  borders,  not  beds,  run 
round  the  squares  of  grass,  &c.,  and  from  the  dawn  of 
spring  to  the  end  of  autumn  these  are  never  without 
occupants — never  ragged,  never  flowerless.  The  system 
adopted  is  one  of  bedding  and  herbaceous  plants  mixed, 
but  all  changed  every  year.  They  steal  out  a  spring 
flower  this  week,  and  put  in  a  fine  herbaceous  or  bedding 
plant,  or  strong  growing  florists'  flower  in  its  stead,  and 
with  the  very  best  success.  Stocks  of  good  bedding  and 
herbaceous  plants  are  always  kept  on  hand  to  carry  this  out, 
and  the  placing  of  the  herbaceous  plants  into  fresh  ground 
every  year  causes  them  to  flower  as  freely  as  the  bedders. 


78 


THB  LDXSHBOURO  GARDEN. 


Bat  these  borders  also  contain  permanent  tlungs — Lilac 
bushes,  Roses,  &c.,  which  give  a  line  of  verdure  throughout 
the  centre  of  the  border,  and  prevent  it  from  being  quite 
overdone  with  llowers.  Among  those  woody  plants  there 
were  others  very  beautiful  and  very  sweet  for  many  weeks 


uulI 


PUn  of  tb«  LniembouTg  G&rd«n  u  recently  stiered. 

through  the  better  part  of  the  season,  and  these  were  low 
standard  bushes  of  the  common  Honeysuckle  1  English 
flower-gardeners  would  perhaps  scarcely  ever  think  of  that 
fiir  such  a  position ;  but  alternating  between  a  Rose  and  a 
Lilac,  or  other  bushj  and  throwing  down   a  head  of  free- 


THE  LVXEMB0UR6  GARDEN.  79 

growing  and  flowering  shoots,  very  few  subjects  look  more 
pleasing  in  the  flower  garden.     The  mixture  of  Phloxes^ 
Gladioli^  (Enothera  speciosa^  Fuchsias^  Pelargoniums^  large 
yellow  Achillea^  &c.,  to  be  seen  here  every  summer  and 
autumn^  is   quite  attractive^  and  much  more  varied  than  is 
now    often    the    case.      They    also    have    the    subtropical 
system^  and   rather  more  tastefully  than  elsewhere.     Thus 
in  one  part  may  be  seen  a  graceful  mixture  of  a  variety  of 
fine-leaved  plants  with  an  edging   of  Fuchsias,  instead  of 
the  ponderous  mass  of  500  plants  of  one  variety  of  Canna, 
which  you  sometimes  meet  with  in  other  places  about  Paris. 
M.  Riviere  is  fond  of  having  mixed  beds  of  ferns  in  the 
open  air,   isolated   specimens  of  tree  ferns,  Woodwardias 
elevated  on   moss-covered  stands,   &c.  and  their  effect   is 
usually  very  good.     The  planting  of  the  vases  too  is  good. 
Instead  of  using  only  flat-headed  subjects,  as  many  do  with 
us,  they  place  in  the  centre  of  each  a  medium- sized  plant  of 
the  New   Zealand   flax,  with  its  long   and  boldly  graceful 
leaves,  and  then   set  geraniums,  &c.,  around,  finishing  off 
with    the  ivy-leaved    geranium,  the    Tropaeolum,   &c.,   for 
drooping  over  the  margin. 

The  effect  of  the  fountain  of  Jacques  Debrosse  and  its 
surroundings  is  the  most  satisfactory  of  the  sort  I  have  ever 
seen.  The  frontispiece,  engraved  from  a  photograph,  almost 
does  away  with  the  necessity  for  a  written  description  of  it. 
Stretching  from  the  foot  of  the  fountain  there  is  a  long 
water-basin,  a  walk  on  each  side  of  that  bordered  with 
Plane  trees,  which  meeting  overhead  make  a  long  leafy 
arch,  so  that  the  effect  of  the  fountain  group  at  the  end, 
representing  Polyphemus  discovering  Acis  and  Galatea,  is 
very  fine.  It  is  of  course  heightened  by  the  leafy  canopy 
of  Planes,  but  very  much  more  so  by  the  way  in  which  the 
Ivy  and  Virginian  creeper  are  made  to  form  gracefril 
wreaths  from  tree  to  tree.  Between  the  trees  the  Irish 
ivy  is  planted,  and  then  trained  up  in  rich  graceftd  wreaths, 
so  as  to  join  the  stems  at  about  eight  feet  from  the  ground. 
At  about  a  foot  or  so  above  the  ivy  another  and  almost 
straight  wreath  of  Virginian  creeper  is  placed,  and  the 
effect  of  these  two  simple  wreaths  from  tree   to   tree  is 


80  THE  LUXEMBOURO   GARDEN. 

quite  refireshing  at  all  times.  The  wreaths  seem  to  fall 
from  the  pillar-like  stems  of  the  Planes  rather  than  to 
grow  from  the  space  beneath  them^  the  bottom  of  the 
lower  wreath  resting  on  the  earth.  An  adoption  of  this 
or  a  similar  plan  would  add  verdure  and  grace  to  many  a 
formal  grove^  bare  and  naked-looking  about  the  base. 

In  these  gardens  the  Oleander  is  grown  into  large  bushes 
like  the  orange-trees^  and  put  out  with  them  during  the 
sunmier  months.  They  become  perfect  beds  of  flowers. 
I  have  seen  plants  or  rather  trees  of  those  oleanders  in 
flower  here^  quite  ten  feet  across,  and  with  the  flowers  as 
thick  upon  them  as  on  a  bed  of  Pelargoniums.  They  are 
simply  treated  like  the  orange-trees,  the  culture  of  which 
is  fully  described  elsewhere  in  this  book.  Doubtless  the 
plan  would  succeed  in  England,  and  it  is  worth  a  trial. 
Even  indoors  the  Oleander  is  not  often  flowered  well  with  us, 
though  quite  worth  the  trouble  of  cultivation.  Probably 
the  complete  rest  during  winter  that  the  plants  get  in  an 
orangery,  and  the  making  of  all  their  growth  out  of  doors 
in  the  fiill  light  and  free  air,  are  more  conducive  to  their 
well-being  than  the  careful  culture  they  receive  in  our 
glass-houses.  On  the  Continent  they  are  abundantly  grown. 
M.  Riviere  fils  has  obligingly  written  a  short  article  on  their 
cultivation  for  me,  which  will  be  met  with  further  on. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1867,  the  men  were  busily  em- 
ployed in  these  gardens  moving  large  chestnut  and  plane 
trees  in  full  leaf.  They  take  them  up  with  immense  balls 
of  earth,  by  powerful  machinery,  and  very  successfully,  but 
this  system  should  not  be  pursued  more  than  is  barely 
necessary  in  private  gardens  or  public  either.  It  may  be 
very  desirable  for  Paris  to  move  common  trees  of  goodly 
size  to  complete  and  rearrange  straight  avenues  here  and 
there,  but  the  plan  is  not  worth  the  expense  in  any  other 
case. 

Nxmierous  amateurs  and  others  go  to  the  Luxemboui^  to 
hear  M.  Riviere,  the  superintendent,  deliver  his  free  lectures, 
which  are  thoroughly  practical,  and  illustrated  by  the  aid 
of  living  specimens  and  all  the  necessary  material.  The 
lecturer  goes  through  the  theory  and  practice  of  the  subject 


THE   LUXEMBOURG   GARDEN.  81 

before  an  attentive  class^  consisting  of  several  hundred 
persons^  and  elucidates  the  subject  in  a  way  which  cannot 
fiedl  to  highly  benefit  the  numerous  amateurs  who  attend. 
It  is  interesting  to  see  such  a  number  of  people  here  at 
nine  o'clock  in  the  mornings  and  the  deep  interest  taken  in 
the  matter^  speaks  much  for  the  excellence  of  the  professor. 
As  botanical  professors  lead  their  pupils  on  occasional  ex- 
cursions over  meadow  and  hill^  so  M.  Riviere  takes  his  classes 
to  famous  horticultural  establishments  from  time  to  time, — 
to  Montreuil,  famous  for  its  peaches ;  Thomery,  for  its 
vines,  and  so  on.  There  are  many  lectures  delivered  in 
England  on  like  subjects,  but  none  so  directly  useful  to  the 
horticulturist  as  these. 

M.  Riviere,  being  an  admirer  of  Woodwardias,  pays 
special  attention  to  their  cultivation,  and  succeeds  in  grow- 
ing them  to  great  size  in  small  baskets,  balls  of  moss,  &c. 
The  accompanying  plate  will  show  how  eflFective  they  are 
when  thus  treated.  Some  of  the  specimens  are  placed  in 
the  open  garden  on  rustic  stands  or  in  vases  during  the 
warmer  months,  and  thus  they  grace  the  flower  garden  in 
summer  as  well  as  the  conservatory  in  winter. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   801TAKK8,   PLACES,   CBUKCH   GARDENS,   ETC. 

Most  of  us  are  familiar  enongli  with  the  aspects  of  the 
London  squares,  with  their  melancholy  loneliness,  and  fre- 
quent filthiness — their  highest  efforts  being  in  the  planting 
of  Privet,  &c.,  so  cleverly  that  any  view  of  the  interior  is 
impossible.  If  by  vay  of  contrast  we  glance  at  the  state 
of  one  of  the  most  central  and  best  known  squares  in  Paris 
before  entering  on  the  general  question,  we  may  he  able  to 
get  ao  idea  of  the  different  system  pursued  in  each  city,  and 
I  trust  also  of  the  great  advantages  and  superiority  of  the 
Parisian  one.  The  square  and  Tour  St.  Jacques  illustrate 
jodicions  city  improvements  better  than  anything  else  that 
I  am  acquainted  with.  This  tower — originally  part  of 
an  old  church,  and  hidden  from  view  by  tall,  narrow,  dirty 
streets  which  crowded  around  it,  is  now  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  aud  interesting  objects  in  Paris — striking  to  every 
one  who  passes  by  it,  and  with  the  garden  a  source  of  much 
pleasure  and  benefit  to  the  people  who  live  in  thb  central 
neighbourhood.  It  was  made  so  by  clearing  away  narrow 
old  streets  and  buildings  and  making  a  garden. 

The  first  thing  that  strikes  the  visitor  in  this  square  is 

its  fireshness,  perfect   keeping,  and  the 

numbers  of  people  who  are  seated  in  it, 

reading,    working,  or    playing.     "  The 

f  same  reason,"  it  is  said  in  '  Guesses  at 

Truth,'  "  which  calls  for  tbe  restoration 

^1    ofour  village  greens,  calls  no  less  impera- 

^"_  lively  in  London  for  the  throwing  open 

I  of  the  gardens  in  all  the  squares.    What 

Portion  of  the  Plan  of  bright  refreshing  spots  would  these   be 

squan.  iQ  the  midst  of  our  huge  brick  and  stone 


THE   SqUABES,  FLAOES,  CHURCH    GAUDENS,  ETC.       83 

labTrinths,  if  we  saw  them  crowded  on  summer  erenings  with 
the^ade^people  and  mechanics  from  the  neighWng 
streets,  and  if  the  poor  children  who  now  grow  up  amid  the 
filth  and  impurities  of  the  alleys  and  courts,  were  allowed  to 
run  about  these  playgrounds,  so  much  healthier  both  for  the 
body  and  the  mind  !  We  have  them  all  ready,  a  word  may 
open  them.  At  present  the  gardens  in  our  squares  are 
painful  mementoes  of  aristocratic  exclusiveness.  They  who 
need  them  the  least  monopolize  them.  All  the  fences  and 
walls  by  which  this  exclusiveness  bars  itself  out  from  the 
sympathies  of  common  humanity  must  be  cast  down.''  The 
aspect  of  this  square  with  its  wide  walks  lined  with  chairs, 
on  which  hundreds  of  people  sit  and  enjoy  the  scene  at  all 
hours,  but  particularly  in  the  evenings,  would  have  well 
realized  this  writer's  ideal  of  what  a  square  should  be.  Nor 
have  the  richest  potentates  more  beautiful  or  diverse 
objects  in  their  gardens  than  are  here  spread  out  for  all  who 
will  enjoy  them.  It  is  almost  as  attractive  to  the  passer-by  in 
the  street  as  to  those  inside,  for  instead  of  a  clump  of  shrubs 
of  commonplace  character,  cutting  it  oflF  from  the  view  of  the 
passer-by,  there  is  a  belt  of  grass  of  varying  width,  kept 
perfectly  fresh  and  green,  and  on  it  here  and  there  large 
beds  and  masses,  usually  distinct  from  each  other.  Now  it 
is  a  fine  bed  of  the  dwarf  fan-palm,  edged  with  Carludovica, 
as  much  exposed  to  the  street  as  to  the  square;  now  a 
group  of  shade-giving  hardy  trees,  furnished  beneath  with 
neat  evergreens,  and  finished  off  with  a  line  or  two  of 
flowers,  next,  a  mixed  bed  of  variegated  Dahlias  and  other 
tall  autumn  flowers,  and  so  on.  On  the  carpets  of  fresh 
grass  between  these  various  clumps  there  are  here  and 
there  isolated  trees — chestnuts,  and  the  like,  to  give  the 
necessary  shade  and  dignity,  and  to  flower  in  their  season. 
In  nearly  every  case  the  stems  of  these  are  neatly  clothed 
with  climbers,  generally  ivy,  occasionally  Aristolochia  and 
Clematis.  Very  pretty  efiects  may  be  worked  out  by  using 
the  best  climbers.  But  the  grassy  carpet  is  also  ornamented 
by  smaller,  though  no  less  noble,  things  than  the  large 
trees  just  mentioned.  It  is  sparsely  dotted  with  plants 
having  fine  leaves,  or  distinct  character.     On  one  sweep  we 

G  2 


84   THE  SQUARES^  PLACES,  CHURCH  GARDENS,  ETC. 

have  a  tree  Paeony,  the  tall  Japanese  Polygonum,  and  a 
large-leaved  Solanum.  Passing  two  clumps  of  shrubs,  and 
between  them  an  entrance,  we  meet  with  another  strip  of 
green  grass,  adorned  with  four  distinct  plants — ^the  Pampas 
grass,  the  Irish  Yew,  Melianthus  major.  Hibiscus  roseus^ 
and  so  on.  It  should  be  distinctly  understood  that  these 
plants  stand  singly  and  isolated  on  the  grass,  so  that  their 
character  may  be  seen.  In  the  mixed  clumps  and  planta- 
tions near  there  are  plenty  of  opportunities  of  seeing  the 
effects  of  things  when  grouped  or  massed. 

Between  the  walk  and  the  beautiful  old  tower  there  is 
a  little  lawn,  and  in  one  nook  of  that  deep  green  carpet, 
sheltered  on  three  sides,  but  coming  boldly  into  the  view 
from  the  greater  part  of  the  square,  is  a  specimen  of  the 
noblest  of  fine-leaved  plants,  the  great  Abyssinian  Musa. 
It  is  about  twelve  feet  high  :  the  base  appears  quite  two 
feet  in  diameter,  the  young  leaves  made  during  the  season 
are  perfectly  intact,  eight  feet  long  each,  a  great  red  taper- 
ing midrib,  like  a  huge  billiard  cue,  running  from  base  to 
point  of  each,  and  from  this  supply- pipe  the  gracefully 
waved  venation  curls  away  towards  the  margin.  Backed 
by  the  foliage  of  the  trees  of  our  own  latitudes,  it  forms  a 
striking  and  noble  object  indeed.  Then,  in  the  immediate 
foreground,  there  is  a  mass  of  a  scarcely  less  striking  plant, 
the  edible  Caladium,  which  springs  from  a  groundwork  of 
fragrant  mignonette,  edged  with  the  woolly  Gnaphalium ; 
and  so  in  like  manner  are  sparsely  scattered  over  the  green 
(they  wisely  keep  the  central  parts  clear  to  secure  a  little 
breadth  and  repose),  striking  specimens  or  groups  of  speci- 
mens, some  of  which  it  would  pay  the  city  to  grow,  if  it 
were  only  to  give  art  students  living  specimens  of  Nature's 
finest  leaf  forms.  I  know  some  botanic  gardens  ten  times 
the  size  of  this  little  square,  which  fail  to  famish  anything 
like  so  good  an  illustration  of  the  diversity  and  beauty  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom,  and  others  where  huge,  tasteless  and 
formal  arrangements  prevent  an  equaUy  agreeable  iinpres- 
sion  from  being  obtained. 

Amidst  the  whole  stands  the  famous  old  tower,  with  its 
leaves  and  figures  in  stone^  a  thing  of  beauty  and  interest 


E  SQUARE  AND  TOUR  ST.  JACQUES 


THB  SQUARES,  PLACES,  CHURCH  GARDENS,  ETC.   85 

of  itself,  but  greatly  enhanced  by  being  set  so  sweetly  in  a 
green  and  brilliant  garden.  At  every  step  the  tower  pre- 
sents a  fresh  face,  and  the  square  a  new  charm.  People 
who  sneer  at  what  they  call  Haussmannization  would  do  well 
to  ponder  on  such  facts  as  this  :  a  little  reflection  might  lead 
them  to  discover  numerous  objects  more  worthy  of  satire. 
About  this  Tour  St.  Jacques  were  tried  for  the  first  time 
the  Wigandias,  now  the  admiration  of  so  many  in  both 
French  and  English  gardens,  the  Cannas,  the  Musas,  Palms, 
Reuses,  and  others  of  the  better  kinds  of  what  may  be 
termed  the  flora  of  Parisian  gardens.  What  a  change  from 
the  filth  and  consequent  unwholesomeness  of  its  ancient 
state !  How  different  from  the  small  squares  around  our 
churches  and  monuments  with  their  naked  slimy  earth  and 
doleful  aspect  I  Surely  they  might  as  well  bloom  with 
verdure  and  life  as  be  so  suggestive  of  all  that  is  opposite  ! 
A  visit  to  the  Tour  St.  Jacques  and  its  surroimdings, 
especially  if  accompanied  by  some  idea  of  what  the  spot  was 
before  the  improvement  was  carried  out,  could  not  fail  to 
leave  a  deep  impression  of  the  great  advantages  to  be 
derived  from  the  execution  of  similar  improvements  in  our 
cities.  The  old  tower  belonged  to  the  ancient  church  of 
St.  Jacques,  which  was  built  in  1508.  It  is  175  feet  high, 
and  affords  a  fine  view  of  the  greater  part  of  the  capital. 
It  was  this  tower  that  was  used  by  Pascal  in  his  experiments 
on  the  variation  of  the  barometer  at  different  heights.  The 
works  belonging  to  the  garden  were  executed  in  1856,  the 
total  cost  being  nearly  6000/.  for  the  alterations  and  planting. 
Although  so  far  in  advance  of  our  own  squares  in 
every  way,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  idea  was  first 
taken  from  London ;  but  while  we  still  persist  in  keeping 
the  squares  for  a  few  privileged  persons,  and  usually  without 
the  faintest  trace  of  any  but  the  very  poorest  plant  orna- 
ment, they  make  them  as  open  as  our  parks,  and  decorate 
them  with  a  variety  and  richness  of  vegetation  with  which 
it  is  only  fair  to  say  the  choicest  spots  in  our  own  great 
gardens,  public  or  private,  cannot  be  compared.  The  whole 
subject  is  treated  of  in  such  a  judicious  way  by.M.  R. 
Mitchell  in  the  '^  Constitutionner'  that  his  remarks  may  be 


86   THE  SQUARES,  PLACES,  CHURCH  GARDENS,  ETC. 

appropriately  quoted  here^  dealing  as  they  do  fairly  with 
both  sides  of  the  question. 

"  It  has  been  often  remarked^  and  with  great  reason,  that 
the  English  have  carried  their  material  civilization  further 
than  we  have.  Comparisons  have  frequently  been  made 
between  Paris  and  London  that  were  not  at  all  to  our  ad- 
vantage, and  we  are  obliged  to  allow  that  the  sort  of  accu- 
sation brought  against  us  was  not  wanting  in  justice.  It  is 
not  many  years  since  the  boimdaries  of  Paris  inclosed  an 
old  city  that  was  a  disgrace  to  our  civilization ;  streets,  or 
rather  fissures,  without  ventilation,  and  unhealthy  districts 
where  an  entire  population  of  poor  people  were  languishing 
and  dying.  Now,  however — thanks  to  the  useful  and  im- 
portant works  that  have  been  lately  carried  out — ^the  sun 
shines  everywhere ;  streets  have  been  enlarged,  and  every 
one  has  sufficient  air  to  breathe.  Paris  contains  but  few 
unhealthy  alleys,  whilst  in  London  the  existence  of  such 
localities  as  Bermondsey,  Soho,  St.  Giles's,  Spitalfields, 
Whitechapel,  &c.,  &c.,  is  still  to  be  deplored. 

''  We  are  far  from  forgetting  the  immense  development  of 
material  civilization  in  England.  We  simply  mean  to  say 
that  our  neighbours  frequently  invent  for  the  sake  of  privi- 
lege, and  that  when  their  ideas  are  good  we  take  advantage 
of  them  and  popularize  them.  We  will  take  a  single  ex- 
ample :  every  one  knows  how  justly  the  English  pride  them- 
selves on  their  gardens  called  squares,  which  are  the  admira- 
tion of  every  foreigner.  Our  unfortunate  public  places  that 
the  pedestrian  cannot  cross  in  summer  without  being  grilled 
by  the  sun  or  blinded  by  the  dust  only  serve  as  examples 
of  our  inferiority  in  this  respect.  The  square,  that  is  to 
say,  a  little  park  surrounded  by  a  railing,  is  the  representa- 
tion at  once  of  a  question  of  health — a  question  of  morality, 
and  perhaps  even  of  national  self-respect.  We  certainly 
could  boast  of  the  Place  Royale,  which,  however,  much  more 
closely  resembled  an  unsuccessful  attempt  than  the  first  step 
in  a  happy  way.  At  present,  however,  Paris  need  envy  London 
for  nothing.  The  Emperor,  who  understands  that  for  an 
idea  to  be  adopted  in  France  it  is  not  indispensable  that  it 
should  be  French,  was  struck  with  the  happy  results  that 


THE  KQUARE  AND  FOUNTAIN   DBS  INNOCBNTS. 


THB  SQUARES,  PLACES,  CHURCH  GARDENS,  ETC.   87 

would  accrue  &om  the  naturalization  of  the  square  amongst 
us.  He  understood  the  necessity  of  a  place  of  refuge,  rest, 
and  freshness  for  those  who  have  never  carried  their  desires 
even  so  far  as  the  Passy  omnibus,  or  even  the  railway  to  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne.  He  has  consequently  bestowed  on  our 
capital  the  squares  of  St.  Jacques  la  Boucherie,  St.  Clothilde, 
the  Temple,  Louvois,  des  Arts  et  Metiers,  and  the  Pare  Mon- 
ceaux.  These  masses  of  vegetation  widely  distributed 
amongst  the  mast  populous  neighbourhoods  cleanse  the  air 
by  absorbing  the  miasmatic  exhalations,  thus  enabling 
every  one  to  breathe  freely. 

"  The  time  has  passed  when  a  plate  of  copper  exposed  to 
the  air  in  one  of  the  streets  now  demolished,  would  become 
covered  with  oxide  in  a  single  night.  This  is  a  question  of 
public  health  that  it  is  most  important  to  bring  forward. 
Before  the  establishment  of  the  Paris  squares  the  existence 
of  a  great  number  of  children  was  passed  in  confined  and 
unwholesome  districts.  The  fresh  air  for  them  was  only  the 
threshold  of  that  vitiated  atmosphere  that  we  have  just  been 
speaking  of.  They  were  obliged  to  take  a  long  walk  before 
they  could  find  a  patch  of  verdure  or  a  bit  of  country. 
The  children  went  out  but  little ;  it  was  useless  to  dress 
them  or  make  them  clean,  because  they  never  went  out  of 
their  own  neighbourhood,  and  in  this  way  their  early  years 
passed  away.  How  many  times  have  we  not  noticed  with 
painful  emotion  these  little,  ragged,  pale  creatures,  who 
never  apparently  thought  of  the  filth  in  which  they  were 
obliged  to  live ! 

'^  Now,  thank  Grod,  this  dark  picture  has  become  bright. 
Within  a  couple  of  steps  of  the  poor  man's  house  there  are 
trees,  flowers,  and  gravel-walks  where  his  children  can  run 
about,  and  clean  and  comfortable  seats  where  their  parents 
may  sit  together  and  talk.  Family  ties  are  strengthened, 
and  the  workman  soon  understands  that  there  are  calmer 
and  more  moral  pleasures  than  those  he  has  been  used  to 
seek  in  the  wine-shop.  Again,  the  different  degrees  of  the 
members  of  the  working  classes  meet  together  on  common 
ground,  and  parental  feeling  is  developed  by  emulation.  A 
child  must  not  be  allowed  to  be  ragged  for  fear  of  its  being 


88      THE   SqUAKSS,  PLACES,   CHUECH    GARDENS,  ETC. 

remarked^  and  we  will  answer  for  it  that  a  woman  in  whose 
breast  maternal  instinct  has  not  been  entirely  smothered 
will  never  take  her  child  into  a  public  place  without  first 
paying  attention  to  the  cleanliness  which  is  the  ornament  of 
the  poor.  Some  time  ago^  while  walking  through  the 
Square  du  Temple,  where  hundreds  of  children  were  running 
and  jumping  and  filling  their  lungs  with  the  country  air 
that  has  thus  been  brought  into  Paris,  we  could  not  help 
saying  to  ourselves  that  strengthened  and  developed  by 
continual  exercise  these  youngsters  would  one  day  form  a 
true  race  of  men,  which  would  give  the  State  excellent 
soldiers,  good  labourers  for  our  farms,  and  strong  artisans 
for  our  factories. 

"It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  English  originate 
privileges  and  that  we  popularize  and  perfect  their  ideas. 
We  shall  prove  what  we  advance  by  comparison.  The 
Parisian  Ediles  have  made  squares  wherever  a  too  crowded 
population  threatened  to  contaminate  the  atmosphere,  and 
in  aU  the  parts  of  the  city,  farthest  from  the  Tuileries,  the 
Luxembourg,  or  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  so  that  those 
living  in  the  neighbourhood  might  be  able  to  get  to  them 
easily.  In  London,  on  the  contrary,  with  but  few  excep- 
tions, there  are  no  squares  worthy  of  the  name,  except  in 
rich  and  open  neighbourhoods.  The  largest  and  most 
beautiful  gardens  are  found  at  the  West-end  in  Belgravia, 
or  at  Brompton,  that  is  to  say,  at  the  very  gates  of  Hyde 
Park.  With  us  trees  are  planted  for  sanitary  reasons,  and 
the  squares  have  been  established,  more  especially  in  those 
neighbourhoods  where  the  atmosphere  most  required  to  be 
constantly  purified,  and  to  this  end  trees  of  a  particular 
sort  were  chosen  for  their  power  of  absorption.  Fountains 
too  were  built,  and  small  pieces  of  water,  which  spread 
that  pleasant  freshness  through  the  air  that  is  so  grateful 
to  the  workman  who  has  passed  the  whole  day  in  the 
heavy  atmosphere  of  the  workshop. 

'^  In  London  they  appear  to  have  been  above  everything 
anxious  about  the  health  of  the  trees ;  a  healthy  and  warm 
climate  was  chosen  for  them  in  open  neighbourhoods  close 
to  the  parks,  so  that  they  should  not  suffer  too  much  from 


THB  SQUARES,  PLACES,  CHURCH  GARDENS,  ETC.   89 

borne  sickness.  We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  the  city,  for 
instance,  or  the  other  parts  of  the  town,  are  completely  un- 
provided with  squares,  but  simply  that  they  are  so  small 
and  mean  that  they  give  one  the  idea  of  having  been 
blown  into  their  position  by  the  wind.  But  the  head- 
quarters of  misery  that  we  spoke  of  a  short  time  ago— 
those  masses  of  crumbling  houses — those  networks  of  dark 
alleys,— in  a  word,  all  that  most  needs  pure  air  and  daylight 
has  been  forgotten,  or  rather  neglected  while  the  richer 
parts  have  been  improved.  In  Paris  the  squares  are  open 
to  every  one ;  in  England  they  are  locked  up,  surrounded 
by  a  railing  surmounted  with  spikes,  and  planted  with 
bushes  so  as  to  impede  the  view  of  all  that  is  going  on 
inside.  By  the  payment  of  a  small  sum,  generally  a  pound 
a  year,  each  inhabitant  of  the  houses  forming  the  four 
sides  of  the  square  has  the  right  to  a  key  of  the  gate.  So 
that  for  a  poor  man  to  walk  with  his  family  in  any  of  these 
gardens,  he  must  first  live  in  a  square  and  pay  a  high  rent 
for  the  privilege,  and  then  contribute  a  poimd  a  year  to- 
wards the  expense  of  maintaining  it.  Practically  these 
squares  are  useless,  and  nearly  always  deserted.  In 
London  the  squares  are  private  property  with  which 
the  State  cannot  meddle.  With  us,  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  the  Government  that  takes  the  initiative  in  these 
municipal  improvements.  It  is  to  the  city  of  Paris 
that  we  owe  their  construction ;  they  have  cost  a  great 
deal,  and  the  Imperial  idea  has  only  as  yet  been  partially 
carried  out.  We  have  already  transformed  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  the  Bois  de  Vincennes,  and  we  shall  soon  have 
many  more  public  promenades  in  difierent  parts  of  the  capi- 
tal.     Before  long  Paris  will  be  one  vast  garden. 

''  It  is  only  necessary  to  walk  in  the  neighbourhood  of  any 
of  the  squares  of  Paris  towards  the  middle  of  the  day  to  see 
with  what  pleasing  readiness  they  are  patronized  by  the 
working  classes.  To  give  only  an  example,  the  Square  des 
Arts  et  Metiers  is  so  crowded  with  people  after  four  o^ clock 
that  it  is  impossible  to  pass  through  it.  It  was  at  one  time 
said  that  the  establishment  of  a  public  garden  was  an  idea 
that  was  perfectly  practical  in  London,  but  not  in   Paris, 


90   THE  SqUAKBSy  PLACES^  CHURCH  GARDENS^  ETC. 

irhere  the  inhabitants  were  so  turbulent  and  revolutionary 
that  they  would  soon  pull  down  the  trees,  pluck  the  flowers, 
and  pull  up  the  plants  by  the  roots.  Experience,  however, 
has  shown  how  utterly  this  opinion  was  devoid  of  founda- 
tion. At  the  inauguration  of  the  Pare  de  Monceaux  all  the 
gates  were  thrown  open  to  the  crowd.  No  surveillance  was 
exercised  over  the  50,000  persons  who  crowded  the  walks. 
At  the  end  of  the  day  the  total  amount  of  damage  done 
only  amounted  to  some  forty-five  francs  for  a  few  turf 
borders  that  had  been  trampled  upon.  This  fact  is  per- 
fectly conclusive.  Besides,  the  squares  have  now  been 
opened  for  a  long  time,  and  the  numberless  frequenters 
of  them  have  conducted  themselves  with  admirable  order 
and  decency.  The  people  evidently  understand  that  they 
are  at  home ;  that  it  is  for  their  especial  behoof  that  the 
gardens  have  been  constructed ;  they  know  that  in  pulling 
up  a  flower  it  is  their  own  property  they  are  destroying ; 
and,  moreover,  they  evince  a  respectful  gratitude  for  the 
hands  that  have  given  them  these  pleasant  places  of  resort. 
The  establishment  of  public  squares  in  Paris  is  an  eminently 
social  idea.  We  repeat  it,  it  tends  to  regenerate  the  human 
race  by  the  development  of  the  physical  forces  ;  by  exercise 
in  the  open  air  it  improves  the  morals  of  the  people,  by 
allowing  the  working  man  to  change  the  dirty  wine-shop 
by  a  pleasant  walk  and  an  agreeable  resting-place;  and, 
lastly,  it  proves  our  readiness  to  adopt  in  our  own  country 
whatever  appears  good  and  useful  to  our  neighbours." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  in  our  turn  shall  show  an  equal 
readiness  to  profit  by  the  excellent  example  shown  us  in  city 
squares.  There  are  many  private  squares  in  London  which 
merely  occupy  space  that  otherwise  would  be  devoted  to  the 
gardens  of  the  houses  around;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  are  not  a  few  which  seem  to  invite  a  trial  of  the 
system  found  to  work  so  well  in  Paris.  I  have  very  little 
doubt  that  if  we  could  set  one  of  these  sweet  little  Parisian 
squares  down  in  the  centre  of  London,  it  would  induce 
many  who  would  now  oppose  with  all  their  might  any 
attempt  to  open  their  square  to  the  public  to  ask  for  the 
change.     And  eventually  it  would  come  to  this,  that  even 


THE   SQUARES,   PLACES,   CHCBCH    GARDENa,   ETC.       91 

persoDs  having  a  claim  over  the  smallest  squares  in 
London — those  that  have  been  substituted  for  the  little 
private  gardens — would  see  that  it  was  to  their  interest 
and  for  the  benefit  of  everybody  living  near  the  square 
that  it  should  be  cheerfully  decorated,  well  kept,  open  to 
the  public  at  all  reasonable  hours,  and  a  place  where  a 
working  man,  too  tired  to  walk  to  a  distant  park,  could  sit 
down  to  rest  without  the  necessity  of  resorting  to  the  public- 
house  or  any  like  place. 

The  Square  St.  Jacques,  already  alluded  to,  is  so  placed 
that  every  visitor  to  Paris  must  see  it.  The  next  to  be 
noticed  is  rather  out  of  the  usual  route  of  the  English 
visitor. 

The  Square  des  BatignoUeB  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best 
worth  seeing  in  Paris.  Entering  it  from  its  lower  side,  the 
general  scheme  is  seen  to  be  that  of  a  little  vale^  down 
which  meanders  a  streamlet,  ending  in  a  small  round  piece 
of  water.  The  margins  of  this  streamlet  are  variously 
embellished  with  suitable  plants :  the  rich  grasay  sides 
slope  up  till  they  end  in  dense  plantations  of  the  choicest 
shrubs,  so  well  planted  and  watered  that  they  look  as  fresh 
aa  if  growing  twenty  miles  from  a  large  city.  Let  us  walk 
round — the  margin  of  the  shallow  grassy  vale  to  our  right, 
the  boundary  shrubberies  and  the  railing  to  our  left.  The 
walk     expands     from     a  ^lo.  at. 

breadth  of  ten  or  a  dozen 
feet  to  forty,  in  the  first 
comer  of  the  square,  so  . 
that  the  children  find  little  ~ 
playgrounds  without  going  ^ 
on  the  vividly  green  grass. 
The  first  attraction  to  the 
^e  on  the  right  is  a  group 
of  the  variegated  maize 
springing  out  of  a  mass  of  Portion  of  plsn  of  Pariiian  squire,  Bhowing 
d.«f  PUox  Drummondi.  ^J^3lit;lS.&'.»i" 
Beyond  it  is  a  group  of 

Plane  trees,  Honeysuckles  being  trained  up  their  stems  by 
the  aid  of  rings  of  galvanized  wire. 


92      THE   SQUARES,  PLACES,   CHURCH    GARDENS,   ETC. 

Next  on  the  right  again  comes   a  magnificent   group 
of  Caladium  escnlentum,  springing  out  of  Lobelia  Paxtoni ; 
behind  it  a  dense  mass  of  the  Pampas  Grass^  in  front  of 
groups  of  Poplars  and  Cedars.     On  the  left   a   profase 
variety  of  the  very  best  shrubs,  flowering  and  otherwise; 
all  these  groups   of  shrubs  being  edged  with  some  kind  of 
summer  flower.     Indeed  it  is  these  margins  that  afibrd  the 
floral  display;  and  the  absence  of  all  attempt  to  make  a 
species  of  extensive  coloured  cotton  handkerchief  of  the 
place  makes  it  almost  as  fresh  and  free  from  vulgarity  and 
gaudiness   as   a  ferny  dell  in  a  forest.     The    keeping    is 
perfect,  and  there  is  no  fence  between  the  public  and  the 
flowers  but  the  very  neat  edging  of  rustic  iron,  which  rises 
about  five  inches  above  the  gravel,  and  is  placed  about  two 
inches  outside  the  grass.     The  only  bed  without  any  green 
relieving  it  in   the  whole    place    was    one    of   Centaurea 
ragusina,  planted  thinly  and  springing  out  of  a   groimd- 
work  of  variously  coloured  and  brilliant  Portulacas.     Again 
we   come   to   another  angle  of  the  ground,  and  the  walk 
once  more  widens  to  forty  feet,  with  lots   of  seats   in  its 
back  portion.     Behind  all,  to  the  left,  is  the  well  diversified 
dense  shrubbery ;  to  the  right  Cedars  and  Thujopsis  on  the 
grass,    of   the   freshness,  softness,   and  verdure   of  which 
latter   I    can    give   no    adequate  idea.     Here    and  there, 
isolated  on  the  turf,  was  a  single  plant  of  the  red-stained 
variety    of   the    common  Castor-oil    plant,    of  which    the 
fruit,  leaves,  and  stems  were  all  effective,  the  former  strik- 
ingly so.     The  Bananas  planted  out  here  are  in   a  poor 
state,  except  Musa  Ensete,  which  is,  as  usual,  superb.      At 
another  comer  there  is   again  a  widening  of  the  walk  to 
forty  feet.     A  few  Chestnuts  are  planted  on  these  wide 
spots  for  shade;  on  the  right  there  is  a  bank  of  choice 
shrubs   and    low  trees,  margined  with  a  belt    of  scarlet 
Pelargoniums — the  only  ones  on  the  spot ;  but  as  it  pro- 
bably took  more  than  800  plants  to  form  this  belt,  I  do  not 
think  anybody  could  complain  of  the  scarcity  of  them. 

We  will  next  pass  up  the  walk  by  the  streamlet  that 
runs  through  the  centre  of  the  grass.  This  is  tastefully 
margined   with  tufts  of  water  plants;    but  a  novel   and 


THE   SQUARES,   PLACES,   CHURCH    GARDENS,   ETC.       93 

praiseworthy  feature  is  added.  At  some  distance  firom 
the  margin — from  four  to  ten  feet — are  planted  here  and 
there  single  specimens  of  plants  which,  while  not  of 
the  water  or  the  marsh,  assimilate  more  or  less  in  character 
with  the  plants   of  those  places — hardy  Bamboos,  Yuccas, 


ErianthuB,  and  other  large  grasses,  some  truly  fine  Acanthus 
latifolios,  the  Pampas  GraaSj  Tamarii,  Funkia  grandiflora, 
&c.  Finally,  we  arrive  at  a  mass  of  ivy  and  creeper  clad 
rockwork,  from  which  issues  the  source  of  the  rivulet :  this 
rockwork  has  its  rear  hidden  amongst  trees. 


94  THE   SQUARE   DES   BATI6N0LLES. 

The  Square  des  Batignolles^  constructed  on  the  once 
open  space  in  front  of  the  church  belonging  to  the  com- 
mune^ is  the  largest  of  all  the  squares  belonging  to  new 
Paris;  it  contains  over  three  acres  of  ground^  without 
taking  into  consideration  wide  promenades  planted  with 
trees  outside.  It  cost  no  less  than  60,000/.  The  works  were 
commenced  in  1862,  and  were  finished  the  following  year. 

In  a  work  of  this  kind  minute  details,  especially  of 
commonplace  subjects,  are  very  rarely  desirable,  and  for 
this  reason  I  avoid  as  much  as  possible  describing  the 
contents  of  the  squares  and  gardens  in  full.  Nevertheless, 
some  may  wish  to  know  about  the  details  of  the  planting, 
and  in  the  case  of  this  square  it  is  given.  It  will  be  noted 
that  each  group  of  Section  1  is  divided  in  three — ^the  first 
being  trees ;  the  second  the  shrubs  that  adorn  the  outer 
sides  of  the  plantation ;  the  third  the  decorative  plants 
of  the  margin.  The  numbers  answer  to  those  of  the  plan 
on  page  93. 

Sect.  1. — Groups  cf  trees,  shrubs^  and  flowers. — 1.  ^sculus  rubicanda, 
JBsculus  hippocastftnum,  Tilia  europsea,  PaauB  virgioiana. — Ligustrum  ovali- 
folium,  Berberis  vulgaris,  Ribes  Banguineum,  Virgilia  rosea,  Lonicera  tartarica  — 
PUox  decussata,  Coleus  Verechimeltii. — 2.  raulownia  imperialis,  Catalpa 
syringiefolia,  Platanus  occideutalis,  Negundo  fraxinifolium. — Foreythia  viridis- 
sima,  Ribes  (in  var.),  Spirea  (in  var.),  Sambucus  nigra,  Sjmphoricarpus 
(in  var). — Pelargonium  zonale  inquinans,  var.  Prince  Imperial. — 3.  ^scmus 
hippocastanum,  Sorbus  aucuparia,  Cjtisus  laburnum,  Acer  platanoides,  Alnus 
communis. — Ligustrum  oyalifolium,  Ligustrum  spicatum,  Gjdonia  jnponica, 
Buxus  sempervirens  angustifoHus,  Prunus  lauro-Cerasus. — Chrysanthemum  pin- 
natifidum.— 4.  Alnus  communis,  Koelreateria  paniculata,  Padus  virginiana, 
Paulownia  imperialis. — Ligustrum  ppicatum,  Ligustrum  ovalifolinm,  Cjtisus 
BessilifoUus,  Mahonia  Aquifolinm,  Berberis  vulgaris. — Pelargonium  zonale  in- 
quinans, var.  Christinas. — 5.  Juglans  nip;ra,  Sorbus  aucuparia,  Tilia  eiiropsea, 
Acer  platanoides,  Platanus  orientalis,  Robmia  viscosa. — Lonicera  tartarica,  Sam- 
bucus racemosa,  Mahonia  Aquifolium,  Euonymus  japonicus,  Deutzia  scabra, 
Kerriajaponica,  Weigelia  rosea. — Phlox  decussata. — 6.  Robinia  Pseud- Acacia, 
Acer  striatum,  Cytisus  laburnum,  Catalpa  syrin^folia,  Eleagnusangustifolius. — 
Hibiscus  syriacus,  Philadelphus  coronarius,  Ligustrum  ovalifolium,  Ligustrum 
spicatum.  Viburnum  Lantana,  Tamarix  indica,  Chionanthus  virginica. — 
Ageratum  coelestinum. — 7.  Catalpa  syringsefolia,  Ahius  glandulosus,  Cytisus 
Laburnum,  Sophora  japonica,  Juglans  nigra,  Robinia  Pseud-Acacia. — Berberis 
vulgaris.  Viburnum  Opalus,Ribe8  sanguineum,  Euonvmus  japonicus,  Philadelphus 
inodorum,  Deutzia  scabra. — Veronica  var.  Gloire  ae  Lyon. — 8.  Tilia  argentea 
Acer  striatum,  ^sculus  hippocastanum,  Sophora  japonica,  Robinia  Pseud- Acacia, 
Fnudnus  excelsior  var.  aurea. — Ribes  sanpdneum,  Fors^thia  viridissima,  Malus 
spectabilis,  Prunus  japonica,  Cytisus  sessihfolius,  Kerriajaponica,  Deutzia  scabra. 
— Achyranthes  Verschaffeltii. — 9.  Alnus  fulva,  ^sculns  hippocastanum,  Sophora 
japonica,  Tilia  europsa,  Cytisus  laburnum,  Sorbus  aucu{>aria,  Acer  platanoides. — 
Mahonia  Aijuifoiium,  Deutzia  scabra,  Forsythia  viridissinui,  Philadelphus  grandi- 
florus,  Kerriajaponica,  Sambucus  laciniata,  Chionanthus  virginica. — Pelargonium 
sonale  inquinans,  var.  Eugenie  M^zard. — 10.  Sorbus  aucuparia,  Acer  piata- 


THE   SQUARE   DE   MONTROUOE.  95 

voides,  Jafclans  nigra,  Paalownia  imperialism  Alnus  glandnlosaB,  Catalpa  Bjungn- 
folia. — Euonymas  japonicas,  Forsjrthia  viridissima,  Fhiladelphus  coronaria, 
Mabonia  Aqaifoliam,  Comas  alba,  Robinia  hispida. — Gazania  splendens,  Phlox 
decusaata. — 11.  Negundo  fraxinifoliam,  Populus  fastigiata,  Juglans  nigra, 
Catalpa  sjringserolia,  Cytisus  labomum,  Sorbus  aucuparia. — Sympboricarpns 
alba,  Forsythia  viridissima,  Ribes  sangaineum,  Euonymus  japonicus,  Deatada 
scabra,  Sjringa  (in  var.)- — Chrysanthemum  fnitCKcens. — 12.  Paulownia  im- 
perialis,  Negundo  fraxinifoliam,  Tilia  europsea,  .^sculas  hippocastanam,  ^scalas 
lubicanda,  Catalpa  syringaefolia,  Acerstriatam. — Ribes  Gordonii,  Weigelia  rosea, 
Mahonia  Aquifolinm,  Svringa  inodomm,  Kerria  japonica.  Hibiscus  sjriacus. — 
Phlox  (in  var.),  Ptarmica  flore  pleno,  Calceolaria  rogosa. — 13.  ^sculus  hippo- 
castanam, ^sculas  rabicunda,  Kobinia  viscosa,  Paulownia  imperialis,  Acer  pla- 
tanoides. — Berberis  foliis  purpureis,  Deutzia  scabra,  Forsythia  viridissima, 
Rhos  Cotinas,  Prunus  lauro-Cerasus,  Euonymus  japonicus. — Phlox  decussata, 
Lantana  yar.  Queen  Victoria. — 14.  Sophorajaponica,  Juglans  regia,  Acer  rubrum, 
Ailantus  glandulosus,  Cytisus  laburnum,  Robinia  viHcosa. — Bupleurum  frnti- 
ooaom,  Prunus  lauro-Cerasus,  Euonymus  japonicus,  Spirea  (in  var.),  Hibiscns 
syriacas,  Tamarix  indica,  Rhus  Cotinus,  Viburnum  Opulus. — Phlox  decussata, 
Coleos  Verschafieltii. — 15.  Acer  platanoides,  Paulownia  imperialis,  Cytisus 
laburnum,  Sorbus  aucuparia,  Robinia  Pseud-Acacia,  Acer  pseudo-Platanus. — 
Ugostrum  ovalifolium,  Prunus  colchica,  Sambucus  racemosa,  Berberis  vulgaris, 
Rhus  glabra,  Kerria  japonica,  Ribes  anreum. — Chrysanthemum  fhitescens. — 
16.  Paulownia  imperialis,  Acer  striatum,  Catalpa  syringssfolia,  Tilia  argentea, 
Sophora  japonica,  iEsculus  hippocastanum. — Amorpha  fruticosa,  Li^strum 
spicatum,  ffuonymus  japonicus,  Sambucus  nigra,  Prunus  Mahaleb,  Kema  japo- 
nica, Comus  alba. — Fuchsia  (in  var.). 

Seetum  2. — Beds  ^or  foliage  plants  and  flowers, — 17.  Pelargonium  zonale 
inqninans. — 18.  Hibiscus  rosa  sinensis,  Nierembergia  frutescens. — 19.  Senecio 
^atanifolia,  Centaurea  candidissima. — 20.  Heliotropium  var.  Anna  Thurel, 
Koniga  maritima  var.  foliis  variegatis. — 21.  Colocasia  bataviense.— Calceolaria 
mgosa,  Gazania  splendens.  —  22.  Ficus  Cooperii,  Cuphea  platjrcentra.  — 
23.  Colocasia  esculenta,  Koniga  maritima. — 24.  Campanula  pyramidalis,  var. 
cnmlea  et  alba. — 25.  Musa  paradisiaca.  Lobelia  erinus. — ^26.  Plumbago  scan- 
dens,  Dianihus  var.  Seneclauzii. 

Section  3. — Isolated  trees  and  plants. — 27.  Bambusa  aurea. — 28.  Pinus 
nncinata. — 29.  Araucaria  imbricata. — 30.  Salisburia  adiantifolia. — 31.  Pinus 
excelsa.  —  32.  Thujopsis  borealiB. — 33.  Cupressus  funebris, — 34.  Cedrus 
deodora. — 35.  Thuja  occidentalis  Warreana. — 36  Abies  Pinsapo. — 37.  Thu- 
jopsis  borealis. 

The  Square  de  Montrouge, — AJthougli  our  island  is  in  good 
repute  for  its  natural  verdure,  I  feel  pretty  sure  that  there  are 
few  Britons  who  would  not  be  persuaded  of  the  necessity  of 
more  eflScient  watering  in  our  public  gardens  if  they  had  seen 
this  square  during  the  last  days  of  the  month  of  August  of  the 
past  year.  To  say  it  was  green  would  be  to  give  the  faintest 
idea  of  the  glistening,  deep,  and  refreshing  verdure  displayed 
by  everything  in  it,  from  the  trees  to  the  grass.  It  is  a 
veiy  small  place,  not  so  big  as  Leicester-square,  but  quite  a 
gem  in  its  way.  It  is  simply  laid  out  with  belts  of  low 
trees  and  shrubs;  the  centre  of  the  little  lawn  left  un- 
adorned, while  all  around  its  edges  really  distinct  and  good 
things  are  dotted  about.    The  Acanthuses  were  very  fine  here 


96  THE   SQUARE   DU   TEMPLE. 

in  consequence  of  the  constant  and  thorough  waterings. 
Previous  to  visiting  this  garden^  I  had  no  idea  that  they 
would  under  any  treatment  look  so  well  at  the  end  of  a 
hot  season.  A  plant  of  A.  latifolius  here  was  six  feet  in 
diameter,  not  three  feet-  high^  and  of  the  deepest  and  freshest 
green.  I  can  compare  it  to  nothing  but  the  young  pushing 
leaves  of  a  healthy  Camellia  in  point  of  glistening  verdure. 
Bocconia  frutescens  I  never  saw  in  such  prime  condition  as 
here — ^the  leaves  were  three  feet  long  and  fifteen  inches 
wide^  the  plant  four  and  a  half  feet  high.  Perhaps  the 
handsomest  grass  I  have  ever  seen,  as  regards  its  foliation, 
was  here  also.  I  do  not  except  the  Pampas.  It  was  a 
species  of  Cinna,  which  had  just  shown  flower  for  the  first 
time ;  but  it  was  the  grace  and  position  of  the  leaves  that 
were  the  most  conspicuous.  The  central  shoots  gave  off  a 
lot  of  leaves  near  the  base,  as  grasses  usually  do,  and  con- 
tinued ascending  till  seven  or  eight  feet  high,  giving  off 
arching  leaves  all  the  way  to  the  summit.  The  falling  spray 
of  a  foimtain  is  not  more  graceful  than  were  these  leaves. 
The  effect  of  such  things  isolated  on  the  grass  is  by  no 
means  sufficiently  appreciated  by  us.  A  handsome  specimen 
of  Bambusa  aurea,  planted  alone  on  the  grass,  helps  to  show 
what  may  ba  expected  of  these  tall,  shrub-like  grasses  in 
the  time  to  come ;  I  believe  they  will  impart  to  our  gardens 
an  entirely  new  aspect,  and  that  of  the  most  desirable  sort. 
The  one  we  suppose  to  be  the  hardiest  of  all  is  tenderer  than 
several  other  species  grown  in  Parisian  gardens,  and  which 
are  enumerated  elsewhere  in  this  book.  Cyrtanthera  camea 
is  used  in  this  and  other  Parisian  squares  as  a  tall  edging 
plant,  and  is  effective  when  so  employed. 

On  one  of  the  grass  plots  here  is  a  group  in  bronze. 
Though  in  an  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  town,  the  keeping 
is  quite  as  good  and  the  plants  quite  as  choice  as  in  the 
most  fashionable  parts. 

The  Square  du  Temple. — ^This,  although  a  pretty  square, 
has  scarcely  the  finish  of  those  previously  noticed,  but  it  is 
a  great  advance  on  anything  we  possess  in  the  same  way, 
and,  as  usual,  was,  on  a  very  hot  day  in  the  beginning  of 
last  September,  as  fresh  as  if  it  had  not  endured  a  scorching 


THE   SQUAEE  DD  TEMPLE. 


97 


anmmer.  A  great  advantage  of  the  system  of  iratering  em- 
ployed is  that  walks  and  every  surfiace  may  he  irashed  and 
saturated  with  ease;  for  on  hot  days  it  is  desirable  that  the 
■whole  garden  be  moist  and  cool.  A  very  splendid  effect  was 
afforded  here  by  a  great  mass  of  Caladium  esculentum, 
planted  in  a  groundwork  of  the  deep  crimson  Amaranthna 
tricolor,  the  whole  edged  with  a  wide  band  of  silvery 
Onaphalium.     There  is  also  a  small  pond  with  water  plants^ 


Tho  Sqnare  dn  Temple, 

a  piece  of  rockwork,  and  two  fine  examples  of  the  weeping- 
willow — always  among  the  best  ornaments  of  a  garden. 
The  larger  specimen  is  said  to  be  four  centuries  old.  Small 
ponds  in  city  squares,  however,  are  in  very  doubtful  taste,  aa 
usually  arrange^-  In  &  town  possessing  an  abundant 
supply  of  water  it  is  possible  to  make  some  grand  features 
with  it  occasionally ;  but  the  number  of  small  ponds  should 
not  be  increased.  They  are  usually  dirty-surfaced,  and 
besides  seem  out  of  place  in  a  square  from  which  the 
bnildings  around  are  not  hidden.     This  square  was  formed 


98 


THE   SqOARB   DBS    ABTS    F.T    METIERS. 


in  1857  on  the  site  of  the  old  palace  of  the  same  name.    It 
has  a  surface  of  about  8000  square  yards,  and  cost  6000/. 

TTte  Square  de»  Arts  et  Metiers  is  like  not  a  few  others  of 
the  minor  ones,  more  of  a  playground  than  a  garden,  gravel 
and  trees  being  the  main  features.  A  low  balnstraded  wall 
encloses  it,  and  at  intervals  vases  for  aloes  and  like  plants 
are  placed  upon  this.  The  appearance  of  this  enclosure 
may  suggest  that  a  kind  of  fence  different  from  what  we 


Childrea 


tbo  Sqaare  dea  Arts  et  M^ticra. 


usually  think  necessary  in  London,  might  be  at  once  more 
elegant,  and  certainly  not  more  expensive.  It  would  not 
do  in  the  case  of  the  large  enclosures,  but  should  we  open 
small  squares  to  the  public  there  is  no  reason  why  it  might 
not  be  tried.  Few  of  ns  could  have  believed  that  Bay  trees 
in  tubs  would  remain  intact  in  that  playground  for  the  Lon- 
don Arab — Trafalgar-square — as  they  did  during  the  past 
year.  In  the  centre  of  the  Square  des  Arts  et  Metiers 
there  is  a  small  hut  elegant  Crimean  monument,  and  there 


PLACE   BOTALE.  99 

■re  two  oblong  fountaia  baains  with  statues.  Around  tbe 
Tbole  runs  a  narroir  flower  border,  backed  by  a  few. 
ahmbB.  It  is  like  all  Parisian  squares,  foil  of  people,  both 
dnring  the  day  and  till  late  in  the  evening.  The  square 
occupies  a  space  of  about  5000  square  yards,  and  coat 
12,800/. 

Place  Royale. — This  out-of-the-way  square  is  chiefly  a 
playground  for  the  infants,  and  a  lounging  and  chatting 
place  for  the  children  and  old  men.  There  is  an  eques- 
triaa  statue  of  Louis  Xlll.  in  the  centre,  and  around  it  a 
group   of  horse-chestnut  trees.     Underneath,  %nd  indeed 


Tho  Plsce  Itojale. 

nearly  the  whole  square,  is  a  gravelled  sur&ce,  except  a 
sli^t  belt  of  flowers  which  encircles  the  fountains  that  are 
placed  in  each  comer.  Between  the  bed  of  flowers  and  the 
fonntain  basin  there  is  a  belt  of  grass,  a  mere  strip  four  feet 
wide,  and  on  this  were  planted  at  intervals  single  spccimeus 
of  the  dark-leaved  Canna.  They  of  course  backed  up  the 
bedding-flowers,  and  came  between  the  eye  and  the  fonntain 
basin.  This  place  was  opened  in  the  reign  of  Henry  lY. 
A  couple  of  centuries  ago  it  was  the  fashionable  quarter  of 
Paris — now  eomparatively  few  but  those  who  live  in  the 
neighbourhood  know  of  its  existence.     Bichelieu,  Marion 


100  SQUARE   DE   Bl&LLEVILLE. 

Delorme^  and  Victor  Hugo  amongst  other  noted  persons 
have  inhabited  the  old  houses  around  this  old  square. 

The  garden  of  the  Palais  Royal^  probably  the  best  known 
spot  in  Paris  to  the  English^  must  not  be  confounded  with 
the  Place  Royale.  It  existed  long  before  many  of  the 
squares  herein  mentioned  were  thought  of,  is  inferior  to 
most  of  them  in  beauty,  and  possesses  no  noticeable  features 
except  it  be  ugly  lines  of  clipped  trees. 

The  Square  des  Innocents, — ^This  square  which  was  formed 
in  1859  and  1860  surrounds  the  celebrated  Fontaine  des 
Nymphes,  which  was  built  in  1550  by  Pierre  Lescot,  and 
decorated  by  Jean  Goujon.  In  1860  it  was  completely 
restored.  The  square  measures  internally  6800  square  yards. 
The  expenses  attending  the  construction  of  this  square 
amounted  to  the  sum  of  8000/.,  of  which  more  than  three 
quarters  was  spent  in  architectural  embellishments.  Like 
all  the  new  squares  of  Paris,  it  is  tastefully  embellished  with 
trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers,  and  forms  a  fresh  and  pleasant 
resort  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  busy  neighbourhood  in 
which  it  is  placed. 

Square  de  la  Chapelle  Expiatoire  de  Louis  XVI. — This 
square,  which  is  situated  between  the  new  Boulevard 
Haussmann  and  the  Rues  d'Anjou,  Pasquier,  and  Neuve 
des  Mathurins,  surrounds  the  chapel  that  was  erected  in 
the  year  1825  on  the  site  of  the  cemetery  containing  the 
remains  of  the  unfortimate  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  An- 
toinette. The  total  area  is  about  7500  square  yards,  of 
which  about  5000  are  open  to  the  public.  The  square 
cost  altogether  nearly  7500/.,  and  was  completed  in  the 
year  1865. 

Square  de  Belleville. — In  the  centre  of  the  oli  place  where 
the  fetes  of  Belleville  were  formerly  held,  which  was  planted 
with  lime  trees  trained  in  the  form  of  an  arbour,  there 
existed  an  open  space  a  hundred  yards  long  by  sixty  yards 
broad.  This  piece  of  ground  has  been  transformed  into  a 
square  by  excavating  the  earth  and  planting  it  with  flowers 
and  shrubs,  thus  creating  a  very  pretty  public  garden  in  a 
not  by  any  means  charming  neighbourhood.  The  works  were 
executed  in  the  year  1861,  at  an  expense  of  800/.     The 


THE   8QCAIIE   LOCVOIB. 


101 


making  of  Bquares  on  this  very  inexpensive  scale  ia  much 
more  desirable  than  turning  them  into  costly  gardens. 

The  Square  Montholon. — The  Square  Montholon  ia  situated 
on  the  Carrefonr  de  la  Rne  Montholon  in  the  Rue  Lafayette, 
and  Tras  constructed  in  1863.  It  is  composed  of  a  central 
grassplot,  sunk  below  the  level  of  the  garden,  and  is  orna- 
mented at  the  further  end  with  a  rock,  from  a  fissure  in 
which  a  stream  of  water  is  constantly  falling  iuto  a  little 
basin.  The  size  of  the  square  is  about  5000  square  yards, 
and  it  cost  the  sum  of  7500/.  The  introduction  of  the 
miniature  lake  is  here,  and  in  all  squares  of  like  extent,  a 
mistake. 


Fio, 


and  Faimtain  Loavoia. 


The  Square  Louvoia  is  formed  on  the  site  of  the  old 
Th£&tre  de  I'Op^ra,  which  stood  there  until  1820.  After 
the  assassination  of  the  Due  de  Bern,  which  took  place  in 
the  February  of  that  year,  the  theatre  was  pulled  down, 
and  a  Chapelle  Expiatoire  was  built  on  the  spot.  The 
building,  however,  was  hardly  completed  when  the  Revolu- 


102 


OAKDEN    OF   TBB   PALAIS   DBS   TDEEMES. 


tion  of  1830  burst  forth.  The  chapel  was  pulled  down  and 
the  ground  was  turned  into  a  public  square  and  planted  with 
trees.  Later  on  a  beautiful  fountain,  from  the  designs  of 
Visconti  the  architect,  was  built  in  the  middle  of  the  spot. 
The  square  consists  principally  of  a  graasplot  which  sur- 
rounds the  fountain,  and  of  two  rows  of  the  old  trees,  and 
a  few  simple  ornaments,  but  notwithstanding  the  effect  is 
ve»7  pretty.  The  Irish  Ivy  is  used  here  in  a  peculiar  way : 
— trained  so  as  to  form  low  pyramids.  Phloxes  being  planted 
between.  Usually,  it  is  embellished  by  a  few  ornamental 
exotics  in  summer,  and  is  at  all  times  a  graceful  spot. 


tha  Garden  of  tbi  PbIub  dcs  TbermeB. 


The  square  or  garden  around  the  Hdtel  Cluny  and  Palais 
des  Thermes  is  quite  distinct  from  all  its  fellows,  and  rightly 
BO.  Inclosing  ruins  and  a  museum  of  antiquities,  the  cha- 
racter of  both  has  been  imparted  to  it  by  arranging  some  of 
the  rougher  and  more  permanent  objects  in  it ;  and  being 
green  and  shady,  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  quiet  and  charm- 
ing, though  situated  alongside  the  busy  boulevard  St.  Michel. 
As  in  most  cities  there  are  old  ruins  and  buildings  bearing 
wnne  resemblance  to  those  in  this  garden,  it  may  not  be 


THE   SQUARE   VINTIMILLE.  103 

amiss  to  say  that  they  are  always  greatly  enhanced  by  being 
snrroundcd  with  the  simplest  kind  of  garden.  Ivy,  grassj 
and  a  few  hardy  trees  and  shrubs  are  sufficient  to  change 
their  aspect  from  grimness,  hardness,  and  decay  to  living 
interest.  A  few  shillings*  worth  of  the  seeds  of  alpine  plants 
shaken  in  the  tufts  of  moss  or  cracks  of  mortar  would 
give  rise  to  a  dwarf  vegetation  interesting  in  itself,  but 
doubly  80  from  so  markedly  illustrating  the  ceaseless  spring 
of  life  even  in  the  most  unlikely  places.  For  the  additional 
embellishment  of  gardens  round  old  buildings,  abbeys,  &c., 
there  are  usually  disjecta  membra,  not  of  importance  enough 
to  be  preserved  indoors,  in  sufficient  abundance,  and  if 
arranged  somewhat  as  they  are  here,  the  result  will  prove 
satisfactory.  The  grounds  of  the  museum  at  York  afford 
an  admirable  example  of  good  taste  in  this  kind  of  garden. 

TAe  Square  Viniimille. — This  square,  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  place  of  that  name,  is  but  of  small  extent,  its 
area  being  only  650  square  yards.  The  cost  of  construe- 
tion  and  restoration  amounted  to  less  than  600/.  It  shows 
that  the  smallest  spots  in  dusty  cities  may  readily  be  con<* 
verted  into  oases  of  verdure  and  sweetness. 

It  would  be  useless  to  enumerate  all  the  small  squares 
and  places  that,  like  the  last,  are  little  more  than  mere 
specks  in  the  city.  Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that 
there  is  life  and  merit  in  the  Parisian  system  of  keeping 
squares.  It  may  not  be  perfect,  and  fault  may  easily  be 
found  with  the  best  of  them,  but  considering  how  short  a  time 
the  municipality  has  had  such  works  in  hand,  nobody  can 
doubt  that  they  are  a  credit  to  it,  and  well  worthy  of  imita- 
tion by  other  people  interested  in  the  improvement  of  cities* 
Some  may  say.  Look  at  the  expense — it  must  be  given  up 
some  day.  Not  so;  intelligent  Britons  and  others  of 
means  have  such  a  keen  appreciation  of  a  well-ordered  city, 
and  go  to  Paris  in  such  numbers  to  enjoy  it,  that  they  pay 
a  very  considerable  portion  of  the  expense.  I  trust,  how* 
ever,  that  the  day  is  coming  when  all  hindrances  to  making 
Loudon  a  clean,  airy,  and  noble  city  will  be  cleared  away, 
and  when  it  will  be  made  habitable  for  those  who  must 
live  in  it  at  all  times,  as  well  as  suited  to  the  wants  of  men 


104  CHURCH    GARDENS   AND   C£MET£RI£S. 

of  business  who  can  live  out  of  town,  or  men  of  pleasure 
who  can  leave  it  at  will. 

As  to  the  order  kept  in  these  squares,  nothing  can  be 
more  perfect.  Being  as  a  rule  small  and  compact,  the  eye 
of  the  guardian  is  a  thorough  protection,  if  protection  were 
required ;  but  the  people  seem  to  require  no  looking  after. 
Of  course  there  are  many  who  will  say  that  these  open, 
and  sweetly  embellished  squares  would  not  be  possible  in 
London — which  is  precisely  what  the  Parisians  used  to  say 
before  squares  were  tried  there.  At  the  hours  fixed  the 
guardians  of  the  squares  are  "  instructed  to  politely  invite  the 
promenaders  to  retire,  and  the  public  ought  immediately  to 
conform  to  this  invitation."  The  gates  of  the  squares^ 
gardens,  &c.,  enclosed  by  railings,  are  opened  to  the  public 
from  the  1st  May  to  1st  October  from  six  in  the  morning 
to  ten  in  the  evening,  and  from  seven  in  the  morning  to 
eight  in  the  evening  at  all  other  seasons.  It  is,  however, 
added,  that  in  case  of  great  heat,  of  snow,  or  of  bad  weather, 
or  when  the  wants  of  the  department  may  require  it,  the 
hours  above  indicated  may  be  altered. 

Church  Gardens  and  Cemeteries. 

There  is  no  place  in  which  a  fresh  little  garden  can 
be  made  in  better  taste  than  round  a  city  church;  and 
in  Paris,  where  the  diflBculty  would  be  to  find  an  open 
spot  that  is  not  planted,  it  is  not  likely  that  the  spaces 
aroimd  churches  are  neglected. 

There  are  several  instances  of  very  pretty  little  gardens 
being  associated  with  churches  in  Paris,  and  they  are  so 
successful  that  doubtless  the  system  wUl  be  extended.  The 
best  known  is  that  in  front  of  the  new  parish  church  of  the 
Trinity,  a  large  and  attractive  building.  An  oval  space^ 
three  times  as  wide  as  the  church,  is  enclosed  in  front  of  it. 
The  gradually  ascending  carriage-way  is  cut  off  fix)m  the 
garden  by  a  white  stone  balustrade,  as  shown  in  the  plate. 
From  the  garden  to  the  church  ascent  is  gained  by  two 
flights  of  steps,  and  between  these  steps  three  curvilinear 
cascades  fall  from  three  groups  of  statues,  the  waters  unit- 


CHUKCH    GARDENS   AND   CEUBTEBISS.  105 

ing  in  one  semicircular  basin.  The  place  is  very  tastefhlly 
disposed  and  embellislied.  The  effect  of  this  fine  new 
chnrch,  with  its  sweet  little  garden  in  front,  is  sotnething 
quite  sparkling  even  for  Paris ;  and  the  place  is,  like  the 
squares,  freely  open  to  the  public  and  much  frequented. 

Another  exceedingly  pretty  garden  intimately  associated 
with  a  church  is  the  Square  St.  Clothilde.  The  view, 
engraved  from   a  small  photograph  picked  up  by  chance 


Iho  Sqaaro  and  CLurl^b  oFSl.  Clotliilde. 

in  Paris,  will  show  at  a  glance  how  much  the  beauty  of 
like  buildings  may  be  enhanced  by  a  little  judicious  gar- 
dening. It  is  only  justice  to  state  that  the  tasteful  plant- 
ing, the  neatness,  and,  above  all,  the  refreshing  verdure 
which  is  sustained  everywhere  by  profuse  waterings,  make 
the  place  leave  quite  a  different  impression  to  anything  of 
the  kind  seen  in  the  British  Isles, 

It  is  an  unfortunate  fact  that  when  we  do  attempt 
any  sort  of  garden  round  our  churehes  it  is  usually 
of  the  poorest  character.  The  gardens  just  alluded 
to  bave  not   been   made  on  the  site   of   cemeteries,   and 


106  CHURCH   GARDENS   AND   CEMETERIES. 

therefore  the  designer  was  free  to  do  as  he  liked  with  the 
ground.  In  this  country  there  are  numbers  of  city  grave- 
yards which,  now  disused,  ought  sooner  or  later  to  be 
turned  into  gardens,  but  gardens  of  a  peculiar  kind. 

In  some  places  they  have  commenced  rooting  up  the 
graveyards,  not  merely  where  the  tunnelling  power  of  a 
railway  company  is  brought  to  bear,  but  in  places  untouched 
in  this  way,  and  where  the  thing  is  done  for  mere  love  of 
''  improvement/'  Evergreen  shrubs  are  proverbially  fond 
of  London  smut.  The  visitor  to  London  who  observes 
such  matters  can  hardly  fail  to  be  struck  with  their 
luxuriance  in  front  of  Tattersall^s,  and  many  other  spots  in 
which  they  have  been  planted  at  some  expense.  The 
verdant  and  luxuriant  aspect  of  these  places  has  had  its  effect 
upon  the  churchwardens  and  powers  that  be,  and  accordingly 
they  have  set  to  work  to  beautify  our  graveyards.  Ever- 
greens are  to  be  substituted  for  headstones,  and  lamentable 
bits  of  cockney-gardening  for  the  memorials  of  the  dead. 
The  most  notable  instance  of  this  kind  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  is  around  the  church  in  Bishopsgate-street. 
Tombs  and  headstones  appear  to  have  been  cleared  out  of 
the  way  and  all  obstructions  removed,  so  that  a  level  surface 
might  be  obtained  on  which  to  set  a  few  hundred  evergreens, 
which  have  little  more  chance  of  flourishing  in  Bishopsgate- 
street  than  if  planted  in  the  Salt  Lake.  To  have  the  bones  or 
memorials  of  one'sfriends  disturbedforthe  ill-digested  schemes 
of  a  jobbing  gardener  is  bad  enough ;  but  when  it  is  considered 
that  this  sacrilege  is  performed  to  plant  subjects  that  have  no 
chance  of  thriving, then thewisdom  of  the  change  is  fully  seen. 
It  is  true  the  sculpture  in  our  cemeteries  is  anything  but 
Greek,  and  the  inscriptions  are  not  quite  so  simple  and  elegant 
as  those  in  the  catacombs ;  but  the  rudest  and  most  mono- 
tonous of  them  tell  of  love  and  death  "  where  human  harvests 
grow"  and  to  all  but  the  most  vulgar  minds  must  be  sacred 
and  beautiful.  What,  then,  must  be  the  feelings  of  those  who 
have  had  the  memorials  of  friends  and  ancestors  disturbed 
for  such  a  purpose  ?  It  is  enough  to  draw  an  anathema  from 
a  less  ready  rhymer  than  the  one  who  wrote  "  Cursed  be 
he  who  moves  my  bones  I^'     And  it  is  the  more  inexcusable 


CaURCH  GARDENS  AND  CEMETERIES.      107 

when  we  reflect  that  there  is  not  the  least  occasion  for  any 
mutilation  of  the  kind^  and  that  the  most  suitable  trees  for 
such  places  are  those  that  would  not  require  any  alteration  of 
the  ground,  and  would  flourish  fireely  in  a  town  atmosphere. 
The  weeping  willow,  birch,  ash,  weeping  elm,  and  a  con- 
siderable variety  of  drooping  and  other  deciduous  trees,  are 
above  all  others  suited  for  this  purpose,  and  might  be  planted 
without  interfering  with  the  stones  in  any  way.  Would  the 
latter  look  any  the  worse  for  being  shaded  by  a  beautiful 
pendulous  tree  here  and  there  ?  The  fact  is,  town  ceme- 
teries may  be  made  as  beautiful  as  it  is  possible  to  make 
them  with  vegetation,  by  the  use  of  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs  and  a  few  well-tried  evergreens ;  and  instead  of 
any  clearance  or  levelling  being  required  for  the  judicious 
placing  of  these,  they  will  look  all  the  better  for  being 
picturesquely  grouped  among  the  tombstones  and  other 
irregularities  of  the  surface.  When  new  gardens  are  made 
in  connexion  with  a  new  church  it  matters  not  of  course 
how  the  groimd  is  moved,  but  it  would  be  a  great  advan- 
tage if  the  churchwarden  mind  could  get  rid  of  the  idea  that 
before  making  a  garden  in  a  graveyard  it  is  necessary  to  level 
the  space  and  make  it  like  any  commonplace  bit  of  ground. 
Instead  of  pursuing  such  a  course  they  should  procure  a 
few  pounds'  worth  of  advice  from  a  respectable  landscape 
gardener  acquainted  with  the  subject,  and  say  to  him, 
"Embellish  the  spot  without  destroying  its  memorials  or 
associations.''  If  you  want  it  levelled,  mutilated,  and  planted 
with  a  few  formal  beds  and  shrubberies  confide  its  execution 
to  an  intelligent  navvy.  In  such  graveyard  gardens  much 
temporary  flower  work  should  be  avoided  in  consequence  of 
the  ceaseless  care  it  requires,  and  all  attention  should  be  paid 
to  the  hardy  and  permanent  ornaments  fit  for  such  a  placer 
Among  these  are  happily  found  numerous  graceful  and 
weeping  subjects  so  suitable  for  cemeteries. 

Our  suburban  cemeteries  are  often  gardens,  pleasantly 
green,  and  abounding  with  trees,  weeping  and  otherwise; 
while  in  the  country  churchyard  where — 

"  Scattered  oft,  the  earliest  of  the  year, 
By  hands  unseen  are  showers  of  violets  foand," 


lOS  CHURCH    GARDENS   AND    CEMETERIES. 

there  is  a  quiet  verdure  "which  makes  the  spot  sweet  to  look 
upon ;  but  with  the  cemeteries  of  Paris  it  is  very  diflPerent. 
There  human  love  is  lavish  in  its  testimony^  but  the  result 
is  ghastly  to  behold.  The  quantity  of  everlasting  flowers 
or  immortelles^  that  is  there  woven  into  wreaths,  for  placing 
on  and  about  the  tombs  in  the  cemeteries^  is  something 
astounding.  Next  to  seeing  the  contents  of  a  hundred 
Morgues  displayed^  the  great  spread  of  decaying  everlastings 
is  the  most  ghastly  sight.  They  hang  them  on  the  poor 
little  wooden  crosses,  they  pile  them  inside  on  the  covered 
tombs,  they  stick  them  on  the  few  green  bushes,  they  sling 
them  under  little  spans  of  glass  placed  purposely  over  many 
tombs  to  protect  the  immortelles  from  the  weather,  till  in 
every  part,  and  particularly  the  part  where  the  secon4  and 
third-class  departed  are  buried,  there  is  scarcely  anything  to 
be  seen  but  everlastings  in  every  stage  of  decay,  the  sight 
being  most  depressing  to  anybody  used  to  green  British 
churchyards.  A  considerable  portion  of  each  large  Parisian 
cemetery  seems  made  to  be  inhabited  by  ghouls.  In  addi- 
tion to  decomposing  composite,  there  is  no  end  of  small 
crockeryware  art,  and  countless  little  objects  made  in  bead- 
work,  and  brought  here  by  the  survivors  of  the  dead  to  hang 
on  the  little  black  crosses  or  tombs. 

It  is  somewhat  different  in  the  portions  devoted  to  the 
graves  of  those  who  could  command  money  when  they 
moved  about  on  the  surface,  and  such  as  passed  on  their 
way  to  the  grave  by  the  paths  of  fame  or  glory.  In  their 
case,  a  little  chapel,  a  ponderous  tomb,  or  something  of  the 
kind,  usually  protects  for  a  little  time  the  dust  of  particular 
individuals  from  mingling  with  the  common  clay  of  their 
poorer  relatives,  and  affords  shelter  to  the  crosses  of  silver 
and  little  objects  of  art,  and  a  little  more  permanence  to 
the  wreaths.  But  what  a  very  wide  difference  between  this 
portion  and  that  in  which  the  ground  is  not  paid  for  in  per- 
petuity !  Here  the  dust  is  allowed  to  lie  undisturbed,  at 
all  events  till  they  want  to  make  a  railway  through  it,  or 
the  gardening  taste  of  a  future  age  directs  the  surface  to 
be  levelled  and  planted  with  horrid  taste  as  a  garden,  as  has 
been  recently  done  in  several  cases  in  London,  so  that  the 


CBTJKCH   GABDENS   AND  CEUETEBIE8.  109 

earth  is  not  merely  a  deodorizing  medinm,  as  it  would  ap- 
pear to  be  in  other  diviaions.  In  the  select  parts.  Id  addi- 
tion to  small  statuary,  &c.,  yon  frequently  see  choice  forced 
flowers  placed  on  the  tombs,  and  one  cold  February  day  I 
saw  a  dame,  evidently  a  nurse  or  respectable  servant,  sitting 
weeping  by  the  costly  tomb  of  a  young  woman  buried  that 
day  twelvemonth,  which  tomh  she  had  almost  covered  with 

Fia.  42, 


View  in  the  Cemelery  Montmartrc. 

large  bunches  of  white  forced  Lilac  and  beautiful  buds  of 
Koses. 

Next  let  us  visit  the  wide  spaces  where  the  poorer  people 
hury  their  dead  out  of  their  sight,  and  you  will  see  a  most 
husincss-like  mode  of  septilture.  A  very  wide  trench,  or 
fosse,  is  cut,  wide  enough  to  bold  two  rows  of  cofl5ns  placed 
across  it,  and  100  yards  long  or  so.  Here  they  are  rapidly 
stowed  in  one  after  another,  just  as  nursery  labourers  lay 
in  stock  "  by  the  heels,"  only  much  closer,  because  there  is 
no  earth  between  the  coffins,  and  wherever  the  coffins — 
which  are  very  like  egg-boxes,  only  somewhat  less  sub- 
stantial, happen  to  be  short,  so  that  a  little  space  is  left 
between  the  two  rows,  those  of  children  are  placed  in 
lengthwise   between  them  to   economize  space;  the  whole 


no 


CHDBCH    GARDENS   AND   CEMETERIES. 


being  done  exactly  as  a  natty  man  would  pack  together 
tmres  or  MushToom-spawn  bricks.  This  is  the  fosse  com- 
mune, or  grave  of  the  humbler  class  of  people,  who  cannot 
afford  to  pay  for  the  ground.  I  am  not  certain  what  be- 
comes of  the  remains  of  these  poor  people  after  the  lapse 
of  a  short  time,  but  by  some  means  or  other  the  ground  is 
soon  prepared  for  another  crop.  On  this  principle,  "  the 
rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep  "  but  a  very  short  time 
in  their  last  bed,  and  there  is  a  very  wide  difference  indeed 
between  "  sickle  and  crown  "  in  Pere  la  Chaise. 

One  day,  when  in  the  Cemetery  of  Mont  Pamasse,  I 
saw  them  making  a  new  road,  the  bottom  being  made  with 
broken  headstones,  many  of  them  bearing  the  date  of  1860 
and  thereabouts.  These  had  been  placed  on  ground  that 
had  not  been  paid  for  ia  perpetuity,  and  were  consequently 


Tb«  CitLacomljB. 

fjubbed  up  wheuj  as  before  described,  they  wanted  to  fill 
the  trenches  a  second  time.  Sir  Charles  Lyell  tells  us  about 
a  graveyard  being  undermined  by  the  sea  on  the  eastern 
coast,  and  a  stone  inscribed  to  "  perpetoate "  the  memory 
of  somebody  being  knocked  about  by  the  waves  on  the 
beach — but  I  never  fully  kaew  what  a  poor,  transient,  weedy 
kind  of  grass  is  the  flesh  of  the  lords  of  creation  till  I  be- 
came acquainted  with  Parisian  cemeteries.  A  cutting 
diirteea  or  fourteen  feet  wide,  with  the  earth  thrown  up  in 
high  banks  at  each  side,  a  priest  standing  at  one  part  near 


CHURCH  GARDENS  AND  CEMETERIES.      Ill 

a  slope  formed  by  the  slight  covering  thrown  over  the  buried 
of  that  day^  and^  frequently^  a  little  crowd  of  mourners  and 
friends^  bearing  a  coffin.  They  hand  it  to  the  man  in  the 
bottom  of  the  trench,  who  packs  it  beside  the  others  without 
placing  a  particle  of  earth  between ;  the  priest  says  a  few 
words,  and  sprinkles  a  few  drops  of  water  on  the  coffin  and 
clay ;  some  of  the  inourners  weep,  but  are  soon  moved  out 
of  the  way  by  another  little  crowd,  with  its  dead,  and  so  on 
till  the  long  and  wide  trench  is  full.  They  do  not  even  take 
the  trouble  to  throw  a  little  earth  against  the  last  coffins 
put  in^  but  simply  put  a  rough  board  against  them  for  the 
night.  Those  places  not  paid  for  in  perpetuity  are  com- 
pletely cleared  out,  dug  up,  and  used  again  after  a  few 
years,  the  bones  being  doubtless  sent  to  the  catacombs. 
The  wooden  crosses,  little  headstones,  and  countless  orna- 
ments are  carted  away,  thrown  in  great  heaps,  the  crosses 
and  consumable  parts  being,  I  believe,  sent  to  the  hospitals 
as  fuel.  The  headstones  from  such  a  clearing  (when  not 
claimed  in  good  time  by  their  owners)  go  to  make  the 
drainage  of  a  drive,  or  some  similar  purpose.  And  yet 
these  people,  who  cannot  afford  to  pay  for  the  ground  in 
perpetuity,  go  on  erecting  inscribed  headstones,  and  bringing 
often  their  little  tokens  of  love,  knowing  well  that  a  few 
years  will  sweep  away  these,  and  that  afterwards  they  cannot 
even  tell  where  is  the  dust  of  those  that  have  been  taken 
from  them.  What  an  instance  of  human  love  and  man's 
fugacity !  Let  us  hope  that  whatever  else  may  be  "  taken 
from  the  French,^'  we  may  never  imitate  them  in  their 
cemetery  management. 

The  catacombs  are  simply  old  subterranean  quarries  stored 
with  the  skulls  and  bones  of  multitudes  of  men.  When  some 
of  the  old  and  well-filled  cemeteries  of  Paris  were  removed  to 
make  way  for  improvements,  the  bones,  &c.,  were  carted  away 
at  night,  escorted  by  priests  and  torches,  and  shot  down  in 
these  extensive  burrowings.  Afterwards  they  were  regidarly 
arranged  and  packed,  and  these  places  now  present  the  ap- 
pearance shown  in  the  engraving.  These  caves  were  origi- 
nally precisely  like  those  in  which  is  practised  the  extras 
ordinary  system  of  mushroom-culture  described  in  another 
chapter. 


112 


CHAPTER  VIL 

THE    BOULEVARDS. 

Pabis  is  famous  for  its  parks,  its  squares,  and  its  gardens, 
but  its  noblest  features,  and  those  most  worthy  of  imitation 
in  other  cities,  are  its  magnificent  open  streets,  avenues, 
and  roads,  called  boulevards.  There  arc  people  who 
regard  these  as  needless,  simply  created  to  serve  the 
designs  of  an  astute  autocrat,  and  only  possible  under 
similar  rule;  whereas  the  fact  is,  they  are  merely  such 
means  of  communication  as  would  be  foimd  in  every  city  of 
the  world,  if  cities  were  designed  with  any  due  regard  to 
their  being  fitting  and  healthy  dwelling-places  for  hosts 
of  men. 

Parks  and  gardens  are  excellent  in  their  way,  but  they 
effect  only  a  partial  good  if  vast  areas  of  densely-packed 
streets  are  unrelieved  by  green  open  spots  where  whole- 
some air  may  obtain  a  vantage  ground  in  its  ceaseless  work 
of  removing  impurities.  The  slight  good  that  is  effected  by 
fine  parks  here  and  there  in  or  towards  the  outskirts  of  a 
city  is  as  nothing  compared  with  what  may  be  carried  out 
by  so  planning  and  planting  streets  and  roads  that  the  air 
in  which  the  people  work  and  sleep  may  day  and  night  be 
comparatively  pure  and  free,  and  the  eye  refreshed  with 
green  at  almost  every  point. 

Paris  exhibits  the  noblest  and  most  praiseworthy  attempts 
yet  seen  to  render  an  originally  close  and  dirty  city  healthy 
and  pleasant  for  man ;  and  this  has  been  chiefly  effected  by 
her  vast  system  of  boulevards — wide  well-made  open  streets 
and  roads  bordered  with  trees,  and  excellent  footways  as 
wide  as  many  of  the  old  streets,  or  wider.  They  do  not 
simply  pass  through  the  city  in  one  or  several  important 
lines^  but  pierce  it  in  every  direction,  and  are  designed 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  118 

upon  a  far-seeing  and  systematic  plan^  so  that  during  the  future 
existence  of  the  city  overcrowding  of  its  parts  must  become 
almost  an  impossibility.  Many  visitors  who  stroll  along  the 
fashionable  and  crowded  boulevards  of  central  Paris^  who  see. 
them  running  in  all  directions  from  the  Arc  de  Triomphe  and 
offering  bold  approaches  to  every  important  position^  may 
yet  have  but  a  meagre  idea  of  their  vast  extent  in  the  back* 
ward  and  less  known  regions  of  the  city.  The  elm-bordered 
Boulevards  Sebastopol  and  St.  Michel  cut  through  Paris 
from  north  to  souths  running  miles  in  a  straight  line^  and 
on  their  way  effectually  opening  up  the  old  Latin  and  many 
other  close  quarters;  but  beyond  their  outer  extremities 
and  between  the  fortifications  and  the  central  districts  still 
larger  boulevards  sweep  rounds  wide  enough  to  be  planted 
with  groves  of  trees  and  to  permit  the  breeze  to  play  freely 
through^  no  matter  how  high  and  thickly  the  buildings  may 
be  raised  for  years  to  come.  Immediately  within  the  forti- 
fications there  is  a  wide  boulevard  running  round  the  city 
under  various  names  for  many  miles,  while  from  every 
circular  open  space — like  the  Place  du  Trdne,  Place  du 
Trocadero,  Place  d'ltalie,  or  Place  de  FEtoile — they  radiate 
like  a  star.  In  fact  the  whole  of  the  space  within  the 
fortifications  is  netted  over  by  them,  and,  instead  of  the 
outer  and  less  frequented  boulevards  being  narrower  than 
the  central  ones,  they  are  often  much  wider.  In  many 
instances  these  outer  boulevards  pass  through  parts  but 
thinly  or  not  at  all  populated,  so  that  the  buildings  to 
which  the  future  is  sure  to  give  rise  cannot  encroach  upon 
the  space  necessary  for  the  free  circulation  of  air  and 
traffic. 

The  architecture  that  borders  the  boulevards  in  the  most  im- 
portant and  populous  districts  has  often  been  objected  to,  and 
with  justice,  as  formal  and  not  in  any  way  attractive.  But 
this  cannot,  except  with  the  most  thoughtless,  pass  for  any 
objection  to  the  creation  of  open,  tree-embellished  streets. 
The  greenest  and  sweetest  of  gardens  may  be  quickly 
rendered  hideous  by  somebody  with  a  taste  for  pottery, 
plaster,  or  geometrical  twirlings  on  the  ground,  but  this  is 
clearly  not  the  fault  of  the  garden.     The  varied  ai*chi-< 

I 


114  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

tecture  that  has  of  recent  years  sprung  up  in  many  of 
our  leading  streets  is^  with  all  its  faults,  infinitely  to  be 
preferred  to  the  bald  formality  and  monotony  characteristic 
of  the  style  adopted  in  the  best  streets  of  Paris.  With  our 
street  architecture,  which  has  improved  so  much,  and  pro- 
mises so  much  more,  we  might,  if  we  could  only  obtain 
open,  handsome,  tree-enlivened  streets,  eventually  pro- 
duce a  result  of  which  we,  and  all  interested  in  citv  im- 
provement,  might  justly  be  prouder  than  the  French  are  of 
their  boulevards. 

How  far  we  are  behind  them  at  present,  those  can  tell  who 
know  what  has  been  done  of  late  years  in  such  cities  as 
Rouen,  Lyons,  and  Paris,  and  who  are  also  acquainted  with 
our  own  great,  sooty,  packed,  and  cheerless  cities.  Are  our 
cities  and  towns  to  remain  a  mere  agglomeration  of  furrows 
— ^ruts  which  to  the  over-passing  bird  must  seem  an  excellent 
contrivance  for  preventing  foul  vapours  to  escape  fipom  the 
abode  of  men — or  are  they  to  receive  as  much  attention,  as 
to  laying  out,  as  is  bestowed  upon  the  surroundings  of  a 
suburban  villa?  At  first  sight  there  docs  not  seem  any 
reason  why  the  places  where  men  most  congregate  should 
be  those  from  which  all  who  can  afford  it  escape  as 
often  as  possible  ;  though,  doubtless,  in  a  country  where  the 
laws  of  supply  and  demand  regulate  everything  and  every- 
body in  such  a  satisfactory  way,  and  where  political  economy 
is  so  well  understood,  one  would  not  have  to  travel  far  for 
reasons  why  things  are  right  as  they  are.  But  judging  by 
results  few  will  deny  that  the  disposition  of  our  cities  is  a 
disgrace  to  any  civilized  race.  Why,  without  touching  at 
all  upon  the  most  crowded  and  filthy  parts  of  London,  one 
may  see  more  in  a  walk  from  the  Strand  or  Fleet-street  to 
the  Regent^s  Park  than  would  suffice  to  make  him  exclaim, 
*'  What  a  miserable  and  disheartening  accompaniment  of  all 
our  boasted  progress  V^  Such  a  reeking  mass  of  mismanage- 
ment as  may  be  found  from  east  to  west  and  north  to 
south,  the  world  has  probably  never  seen ;  and  yet  London 
is  the  "  richest  city  in  the  world  V^  The  wealth  of  it, 
compared  to  that  of  such  towns  as  Rouen  or  Milan,  is  as 
Mont  Blanc  to  Primrose  Hill;  yet  either  of  these  cities 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  115 

would  put  the  "  centre  of  civilization ''  to  shame  as  regards 
clean  and  well  planned  streets  and  promenades. 

It  is  a  city  of  commerce,  and  we  cannot  afford  space 
or  money  to  remodel  it,  say  some;  but  apart  altogether 
from  questions  of  salubrity  and  appearance,  imagine  for 
a  moment  how  much  is  lost  from  mere  want  of  room 
even  in  our  leading  thoroughfares.  In  many  cases  they 
are  almost  impassable  except  to  those  used  and  com- 
pelled to  force  their  way  through  them,  while  if  the 
pressed  pedestrian  retires  into  a  cab  he  may  find  himself 
brought  quite  to  a  standstill  in  some  busy  groove.  Wide 
thoroughfares  and  free  circulation  would  be  found  to  agree 
as  well  with  commerce  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  as  on 
those  of  the  Rhone  at  Lyons.  All  real  improvements  would 
result  in  a  clear  gain  to  the  business  of  a  city,  as  will 
doubtless  be  proved  ere  long  by  our  truly  worthy  Thames 
embankment.  But  the  space  ?  Land  is  too  dear  I  This 
is  really  not  a  great  difficulty  in  London.  There  is  no  city 
which  could  be  pierced  with  free,  open  roads  and  boule- 
vards more  cheaply  and  readily.  In  its  very  centre  there 
are  acres  covered  by  shallow  brick  buildings,  which  have 
not  cost,  and  do  not  pay,  nearly  so  much  as  closely-packed, 
tall,  stone  houses  in  inferior  parts  of  Paris,  that  are  cut 
through  every  day  almost  as  freely  as  if  they  were  made  of 
pasteboard.  Regions  like  that  of  Tottenham-court-road, 
most  important  and  well  situated  for  business  purposes,  are 
covered  by  the  veriest  shanties,  which  are  of  comparatively 
little  value.  In  such  places  houses  to  accommodate  twice 
the  number  of  persons  might  be  built,  and  lodge  them  far 
more  comfortably  than  at  present,  while  the  streets  might 
be  as  wide  again,  and  therefore  have  purer  air  and  more 
light.  Wide  tree-planted  avenues  might  lead  from  the 
embankment  out  towards  the  pleasingly  diversified  suburbs, 
and  would  act  as  veins  of  salubrity  to  the  regions  they 
traversed.  The  increase  in  the  value  of  property  along  such 
main  arteries  would  repay  for  the  outlay.  If  land  be  really 
so  valuable,  why  occupy  it  with  such  trifling  and  unprofitable 
buildings  ?  The  fact  is,  the  objection  as  to  space,  which  is 
usually  urged  as  the  greatest,  is  no  objection  at  all.     Half 

i2 


116  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

occupied  and  sometimes  waste  ground  without  the  margins 
of  the  city,  and  square  miles  almost  worse  than  waste  within, 
attest  this. 

Of  course  such  changes  as  I  advocate  would  involve  the 
adoption  of  the  ^'  flat''  system,  which  some  say  our  people 
have  a  great  objection  to.  But  that  there  can  be  no  real 
objection  in  this  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  it  is  adopted  by 
a  non-gregarious  people  like  the  Scotch,  as  well  as  by  the 
French.  In  houses  constructed  in  this  way,  and  with  all 
modem  improvements  and  comforts  never  to  be  found  in 
the  miserable  and  fragile  structures  now  everywhere  to  be 
seen,  the  additional  warmth  and  dryness  which  would  result 
from  the  thicker  and  better  buildings  necessary,  could  hardly 
fail  to  have  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  public  health,  while 
efficient  ventilation  would  prove  a  still  greater  aid.  It  is 
by  no  means  clear  that  any  less  thorough  mode  of  proceed- 
ing will  prove  a  true  remedy.  Our  narrow  streets,  the  want  of 
anything  like  a  generaUy  recognised  plan,  and  flimsy  houses, 
are  worthy  only  of  a  period  when  men  first  herded  together 
for  security,  and  not  of  the  Victorian  era.  No  sprinkling 
about  of  disinfecting  agents  when  danger  becomes  imminent, 
or  pulling  down  of  a  few  shops  that  have  protruded  them- 
selves and  their  outhangings  so  far  into  the  narrow  street 
that  they  have  become  intolerable,  even  to  those  accustomed 
to  dodge  through  the  streets  of  London,  will  touch  more 
than  the  surface-roots  of  the  evil.  Most  of  such  narrow, 
Bchemcless  improvements  as  are  now  taking  place  will  be 
more  than  coimteracted  by  the  vast  growth  of  what  even  in 
Byron's  time  was  "  this  enormous  city's  spreading  spawn." 

The  change  must  be  radical !  We  want  a  plan  with  the 
Thames  embankment  for  its  backbone.  There  is  nothing  to 
prevent  us  having  the  best  embellishments  seen  in  conti- 
nental cities,  minus  their  trees  in  tubs  and  paltrier  features. 
But  to  have  them  it  is  indispensable  that  we  first  have 
breadth  and  room,  that  the  street  traffic  may  circulate  with- 
out abrading  them  away.  Footways  and  roads,  wide  and 
open,  are  the  first  and  greatest  necessaries,  and  they  ought 
to  be  planted  with  trees,  which  do  better  in  London  than  in 
Paris.     No  fancy  gardening,  no  expense  for  vases,  griffins. 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  117 

water-squirting — ^nothing  whatsoever  of  that  type — should 
be  tolerated  until  the  pure  free  air  be  enabled  to  search  its 
way  into  the  heart  of  the  town,  through  open  verdure- 
bordered  roads;  which  indeed  would  induce  it  to  ignore 
the  boundary  line  that  now  so  widely  marks  the  difference 
between  town  and  country. 

To  hope  to  attack  the  mass  of  disease  and  dirt  that  exists^ 
without  first  giving  men  an  opportunity  of  enjoying  pure 
air  and  light,  is  in  vain.  These  are  the  cheapest  as  well  as 
the  greatest  of  blessings ;  they  are  naturally  the  property 
of  all;  but  civilized  man  completely  annuls  them  by  his 
muddling  and  stupid  arrangement  of  our  cities.  To  make 
them  once  more  the  property  of  all  should  be  the  aim  of 
everybody  who  wishes  well  to  his  country.  It  should  be 
one  of  the  first  and  most  important  ^^  questions  for  a  re- 
formed parliament."  For  what  is  the  use  of  all  our  present 
efforts  towards  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  masses  in 
our  cities,  if  health  and  all  its  consequences  be  impossible  in 
them  ?  Of  none  indeed,  except  it  be  in  perpetuating  much 
of  the  misery  and  squalidness  that  occur  amongst  us  by 
ministering  to  them. 

The  conditions  complained  of  do  not  simply  occur  in 
central  parts  of  London  where  land  is  very  dear :  far  with- 
out the  radius  of  the  parks,  the  arrangements  of  streets  are 
frequently  quite  as  bad  as  in  the  poor  central  districts,  and 
capital  preparations  arc  being  made  to  secure  a  dozen  years 
hence  a  suburban  cordon  of  districts  like  St.  Giles's.  To 
experience  the  truth  of  this  the  reader  has  merely  to  walk 
from  Kensington  Gardens  to  Kew — not  the  most  unpleasant 
stroll  that  could  be  selected  in  suburban  London.  In  the 
course  of  his  journey  he  will  find  in  the  least  populated  parts 
pleasant  open  roads,  in  some  cases  wider  than  a  boulevard, 
and  with  useless  spaces  railed  off,  and  spreads  of  gravel,  wide 
as  a  princely  avenue,  before  some  low  and  isolated  public- 
house  ;  but  the  moment  he  arrives  at  a  densely  populated 
part,  the  dead  rabbits,  sheep,  &c.,  thrust  out  from  the  shops 
into  the  few  feet  of  crowded  footway,  oblige  him  to  dodge  so 
often  among  the  dung-carts  and  omnibuses  of  the  narrow, 
crowded  street  that,  if  he  has  ever  seen  even  an  approach 


118 


THE  B0VLEVABD8. 


to  a  decently  arranged  city,  he  will  be  forced  to  admit  that 
suburbs  of  London,  milea  in  extent,  have  received  less 
attention  as  to  design  than  a  cottager  bestows  upon  his  little 
garden,  or  a  designer  of  wall-paper  on  his  rudest  patterns. 
From  a  liksj  or  even  a  worse,  condition  our  neighbours  have 
been  delivered  by  their  splendid  boulevards,  and  in  a  very 
abort  time. 

The  word  boulevard,  or  boulevart  as  it  is  frequently  spelt, 
sigmfies  in  its  primary  sense  a  walk  made  upon  the  walls  of 
a  fortified  town,  of  which  we  have  so  good  an  example  in 
the  ancient  city  of  Chester :  it  is  said  to  be  derived  from 

Via.  44. 


Fikria  uTen  buDdisd  jcutb  ago, 

the  Low  German  "  bullewerke,"  a  word  of  similar  meaning  to 
our  own  bulwarks.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  Paris  boulevards 
proper,  extending  from  the  Madeleine  to  the  Bastille, 
undoubtedly  occupy  the  site  of  the  ancient  wall  built  by 
Etienne  Marcel  and  Hugues  Aubriot,  to  resist  the  incursions 
of  the  English  army  which  encamped  round  St.  Denis.  The 
tables  have  long  since  been  turned  however,  and  instead  of 
entering  Paris  to  plunder  and  slay,  a  huge  undisciplined 
English  army  is  constantly  passing  through  the  gates  of  Paris 
to  be  plundered  by  the  shopkeepers,  and  take  their  chance 


THE   BOULETABDS.  119 

of  being  slain  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  numberless  forms  of 
dissipation  to  be  met  with  in  that  gayest  of  all  cities. 

The  first  Paris  boulevard  was  opened  in  1670,  in  the 
reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  extended  from  the  Porte  St. 
Denis  to  the  Bastille.  It  bo  pleased  the  Parisians  that 
before  the  end  of  the  following  year  the  line  was  continued 
in  the  other  direction  from  the  Porte  St.  Denis  to  the 
Forte  St.  Honore,  which  stood  across  the  end  of  the  Bae 
dtt  Faubourg  St.  Honore,  where  that  street  now  joins  the 
Rue  Royale.  A  year  or  two  after,  the  ancient  Porte  du 
Temple  which  stood  iu  the  boulevard  of  that  name   was 


removed,  and  the  road  between  the  Porte  St.  Denis  and  the 
Bastille  levelled  and  repaired,  thus  completing  the  original 
line  of  boulevards  so  often  celebrated  both  in  prose  and  in 
verse  since  the  days  of  the  Grand  Monarque,  and  which 
have  preserved  their  prestige,  as  the  boulevards  par  excel- 
lenee,  over  all  those  that  have  been  since  constructed. 

The  promenaders  of  the  17th  century,  on  looking  to  the 
north  of  the  capital,  must  have  enjoyed  au  uninterrupted 
view  of  the  open  country  beyond,  dotted  here  and  there 
with  little  villages  or  rich  abbeys — the  ancient  fane  of  St. 
Denis  lifting  its  grey  towers  in  conscious  superiority  above 


120  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

them  all.  Looking  souths  he  would  see  a  somewhat  sparsely 
populated  district  between  him  and  the  Louvre^  although 
the  Marais  to  the  east  was  gradually  extending  itself 
towards  the  fortifications.  The  boulevards  then  under 
Louis  XIV.,  formed  a  long  promenade  some  150  feet  wide, 
and  planted  with  rows  of  trees,  beneath  which  the  Parisians 
could  enjoy  the  double  sight  of  the  city  and  country  in  the 
midst  of  rural  silence  and  quiet.  The  ancient  buildings  of 
that  epoch,  from  the  Porte  St.  Honor^  at  one  end  to  the 
castellated  Bastille,  have  long  been  swept  away,  and  nothing 
is  left  to  remind  one  of  the  Grand  Monarque  but  the 
Portes  St.  Martin  and  St.  Louis — ^both  heavy  masses  of 
classicalism — and  a  few  names  that  have  been  bestowed  on 
the  neighbouring  streets. 

The  memory  of  the  old  fortifications  is  still  preserved  in 
the  Rue  Basse  des  B/cmparts,  which  forms  the  north  side 
of  the  Boulevard  de  la  Madeleine.  But  it  will  not  do  to 
linger  over  the  recollections  of  the  past  when  the  present 
has  such  pressing  claims  on  our  attention.  During  the 
following  reigns  the  city  gradually  crept  up  to  the  boule- 
vards, absorbing  numerous  convents,  monasteries,  and  noble 
domains  in  its  progress.  The  Revolution  precipitated 
matters  by  confiscating  the  remaining  monastic  and  aristo- 
cratic lands  in  the  neighbourhood,  both  within  and  without 
the  walls.  The  boulevards  soon  became  the  favourite 
resort  of  all  that  was  noble,  witty,  or  pretty  in  Paris. 
Restaurants  began  to  lift  their  heads  above  the  small  guin- 
guettes  that  were  first  erected  along  the  line,  and  house  by 
house,  tree  by  tree,  the  boulevards  gradually  assumed  their 
present  aspect. 

The  boulevards,  par  excellence,  stretch  from  the  Made- 
leine to  the  Place  de  la  Bastille ;  and  a  ride  outside  an  omni- 
bus from  one  point  to  the  other  will  well  aflTord  a  sight  not 
to  be  witnessed  in  any  other  part  of  Europe.  The  roadway 
and  footpaths  are  more  spacious  than  any  in  London. 
The  latter  are  usually  thoroughly  well  asphalted,  shaded 
with  rows  of  trees,  and  furnished  with  numerous  seats. 
In  the  more  fashionable  portion — that  between  the  Boule- 
vard de  la   Madeleine  and  the  Porte  St.  Martin — nearly 


THB  BOULEVAKDS.  121 

every  other  house  is  a  restaurant,  a  caf€,  or  a  theatre. 
Before  every  one  of  these  are  groups  of  little  tables,  at 
■which  pleasure-seekers  from  all  parts  of  the  world  are 
seated  laughiag,  talking,  smoking,  and  drinking  as  if  no 
ench  things  as  wars,  revolutionsj  or  financial  panics  ever 
existed. 

The  bonlerards  of  Paris  are,  generally  speaking,  so  very 
much  alike  that  to  describe  tbcm  in  detail  is  needless.    The 

F(a.  46. 


llio  Ho  c  de  Y  lie 


illustrations  will  gi\e  a  better  idea  of  their  actual  appear* 
ance  than  any  written  descnption  From  house  to  house 
they  are  usually  m  the  moat  frequented  parts  over  100  feet 
wide,  occasionally  reaching  hetwecn  130  and  140  feet, 
and  even  much  wider  than  this  in  the  outer  boulevards, 
which  are  sometimes  large  enough  for  half  a  dozen  lines  of 
trees,  in  addition  to  very  wide  footways,  and  perhaps  two 
minor  as  well  as  a  wide  central  road,  as  in  the  Avenue  de 


122  THE  BOVLEVABDB. 

la  Grande  Arm^.  The  footways  of  the  most  frequented 
boulevards  are  about  twenty-six  feet  wide  on  each  aide,  and 
Bometimes  more. 

But,  notwithstanding  their  general  similarityj  there  are  a 
few  distinctive  enough  for  special  mention,  and  among 
these  none  more  so  than  the  Boulevard  Richard  Lenoir, 
which  runs  from  the  Place  de  la  Bastille  to  the  Rue  du 
Faubourg  du  Temple.  This  often  escapes  observation  from 
visitors,  as  the  Boulevard  Beaumarchais  drains  most  of  the 
traffic  from  tbe  Bastille  to  the  fashionable  boulevards ;  but 

Fio.  47. 


oftbo  Baulcvard  Itichanl  Lenoir. 


it  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  iu  Paris,  and  more  than 
usually  ornamental.  It  is  nearly  2000  yards  long,  and  is 
in  great  part  built  over  a  canal.  It  was  thought  desirable 
to  cover  a  large  portion  of  tbe  canal,  and  to  make  a  wide 
boulevard  over  this  huge  bridge,  in  order  to  facilitate  the 
traffic  and  improve  the  appearance  of  the  district.  It 
became  necessary  to  have  ventilating  and  lighting  shafts 
for  the  canal,  and  eighteen  pairs  of  these  openings  occur 
in  the  course  of  its  length.  These  have  been  ingeniously 
and  tastefully  hidden  by  eighteen  little  railed-ia  parterres. 


TRB   BOCLEVAEDS. 


123 


In  these  the  openings,  which  are  wired  over,  are  surrounded 
hy  a  thick  low  hedge  of  Euonymus  or  some  close  erei^reen, 
so  that  no  opening  of  any  kind  is  exposed  to  the  passing 
ohaerrer.  In  the  centre  of  each  garden  there  is  a  long 
basin  and  a  fountain,  the  whole  being  connected  and  sur- 
rounded by  flowers  and  grass.  Then  on  each  side  of  these 
parterres  there  are  very  wide  avenue  footways,  each  shaded 
by  two  lines  of  Plane  trees — a  road  being  on  each  side  of 
the  parterres  and  tree  avenues.  For  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  Ch&teau  d'Eau,  the  flower-market  that  has  its  head- 
qoarters  held  there  extends  down  amongst  the  little  railed- 


Place  ila  Tr6ne. 

in  parterres,  and   the  eflect  is  altogether  very  pretty  and 
quite  unique. 

Every  visitor  to  Paris  must  of  course  have  seen  the 
fashionable  boulevards  stretching  from  the  Madeleine  to 
the  Place  du  Chftteau  d'Eau,  but  the  great  outer  systema 
often  escape  observation.  On  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine  among 
the  more  remarkable  of  the  exterior  boulevards  are  those  of 
St.  Jacques,  ditalie,  d'Enfer,  Du  Mont  Parnasse,  and  the 
Avenue  de  Breteuil;  on  the  right  bank  the  Boulevards 
Pereire,  des  Batignolles,  CUchy,  Bochechonart,  de  la 
Chapelle,  and  de  Belleville  are  amongst  the  most  important, 


124  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

tliough^  where  there   are  so  many  of  great   extent    and 
almost  similar  features^  it  is  diflScult  to  particularize. 

Of  avenues^  the  largest  and  most  gardenesque  is  the 
Avenue  de  rimperatriee,  leading  from  the  Arc  de  Triomphe 
to  the  Sois  de  Boulogne. 

In  order  to  put  the  centre  of  Paris  in  communication 
•with  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  by  means  of  a  wide  direct  road^ 
an  imperial  decree  ordered  the  Route  departemental  leading 
from  the  Bond  Point  de  FEtoile  to  the  Porte  Dauphine  of 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne^  to  be  straightened.  Half  the 
expense  was  borne  by  the  State,  under  the  conditions  that 
an  iron  railing  of  uniform  design  was  to  be  constructed  along 
the  whole  length  of  the  road,  that  a  strip  of  eleven  yards 
in  breadth  be  left  for  a  garden  between  this  railing  and 
the  houses  on  each  side,  and  further,  that  no  kind  of  trade 
or  manufacture  should  be  carried  on  in  the  houses  adjoining. 
The  avenue  was  made  entirely  through  private  lands  which 
were  acquired  for  the  purpose.  Its  total  length  is  1300 
yards ;  the  width  130  yards.  It  consists  of  a  central  drive, 
seventeen  yards  wide,  of  two  large  side  walks,  each  mea- 
suring thirteen  yards  wide,  and  of  two  strips  of  turf  planted 
with  choice  trees  and  shrubs,  including  the  whole  of  the 
species  as  yet  naturalized  in  Paris,  and  lastly,  of  two  foot- 
paths running  along  the  side  of  iron  railings  that  separate 
the  houses  from  the  road.  The  total  cost  of  the  avenue 
amounted  to  over  20,000/.,  in  addition  to  which  the  city  of 
Paris  expended  a  sum  of  4000/.  more  on  the  flower-beds  and 
plantations,  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Auteuil  railway 
bridge,  and  for  the  general  drainage  of  the  ride. 

The  Avenue  de  PEmpereur,  beginning  at  the  Quai  de 
Billy,  opposite  the  Pont  de  FAlma,  and  joining  the  Bois 
de  Boulogne  close  by  the  Porte  de  la  Muette,  is  another 
example  of  the  great  attention  and  expense  devoted  to 
avenues  and  boulevards  in  Paris  during  recent  years.  The 
portion  of  the  avenue  between  the  Porte  de  la  Muette  and 
the  Place  du  Roi  de  Rome  was  laid  down  in  1862.  The 
part  included  between  the  Rue  du  Petit  Pare  and  the  Place 
du  Roi  de  Rome  necessitated  considerable  excavations,  many 
of  them  being  as  much  as  thirty-three  feet  in  depth.    Along 


THE   BOULEVARDS. 


125 


the  vhole  of  thia  section  the  owners  of  the  adjacent  property 
were  obliged  to  set  apart  a  atrip  of  ground,  tbirty-three  feet 
wide,  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing  of  uniform  character,  and 
laid  out  as  a  pleasure-garden.  They  were  also  forbidden  to 
let  out  any  of  the  premises  for  trading  or  manufacturing 
purposes. 

Fio.  43. 


well  of  Greaelle,  and  the  Icvalides. 


The  part  between  the  Place  du  Boi  de  Rome  and  the 
Quai  de  Billy  was  begun  and  finished  in  1866.  The  incline 
of  27  in  1000  that  was  obliged  to  be  given  to  this  portion 
of  the  road  also  necessitated  large  excavations  of  an  average 
depth  of  six  feet  between  the  Boulevard  du  Boi  de  Borne 
and  the  Place  Chaillot ;  whilst  &om  this  point  to  the  Pont 
de  I'Alma  an  embankment  bad  to  be  made  in  some  places 


126  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

thirty-six  feet  high.  Between  the  Place  de  Chaillot  and 
the  Pont  de  TAlma  that  side  of  the  road  only  which  faces 
towards  Chaillot  will  be  covered  with  houses.  The  side 
looking  towards  the  Seine,  which  will  form  a  terrace,  sup- 
.  ported  by  au  immense  waU,  wiU  give  a  fine  view  of  the 
river  and  the  hills  about  Meudon.  The  land  on  which  the 
terrace  wall  is  built  is  formed  of  the  alluvium  of  the  Seine, 
which  rendered  the  work  of  construction  most  difficult, 
owing  to  its  want  of  firmness.  The  method  which  seemed 
to  promise  the  greatest  amount  of  safety,  combined  with 
economy,  was  to  spread  the  pressure  of  the  vast  mass  over 
a  large  extent  of  surface.  For  this  purpose  a  wide  area 
was  formed  of  concrete,  on  which  was  erected  a  wall  nearly 
of  the  same  size.  This  wall  was  hollowed  out  on  each  side 
by  large  spaces,  forming  on  the  front  turned  towards  the 
observer  a  series  of  vaults  supporting  a  row  of  shrubs, 
which  allowed  the  eye  to  wander  through  them  into  the 
neighbouring  gardens.  On  the  other  side  where  the  em- 
bankment had  been  formed  there  were  two  rows  of  vaults, 
in  order  that  the  weight  of  earth  resting  on  them  might  be 
added  to  that  of  the  arcade  itself,  so  as  to  counterbalance  the 
eflTect  of  the  tendency  of  the  embankment  to  throw  the  wall 
outwards. 

The  portion  of  the  wall  standing  to  the  right  of  the 
premises  that  belong  to  the  waterworks  at  Chaillot  was  too 
low  to  render  the  same  method  of  construction  necessarv. 
However,  in  order  to  increase  the  resources  of  this  estab- 
lishment, and  to  shut  out  from  the  sight  of  the  passers-by 
the  vast  heaps  of  coal  lying  in  the  yards,  the  vaulting 
of  the  wall  was  continued  on  a  smaller  scale  so  as  to  form  a 
footpath  above  and  a  series  of  coal  cellars  below.  This  part 
of  the  wall  was  surmounted  by  a  railing  covered  with  ivy  so 
as  partially  to  hide  the  yard  and  buildings  of  the  water- 
works, which  were  somewhat  awkwardly  cut  in  two  by  the 
new  road.  This  wall  was  built  entirely  in  a  kind  of  artificial 
stone  formed  of  compressed  concrete.  The  arcades  that  are 
visible  have  millstone  dressings,  in  order  as  much  as  possible 
to  vary  the  appearance  of  the  wall,  which  is  no  less  than  430 
yards  long.     The  total  cost  of  the  construction  of  the  Avenue 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  127 

de  I'Empereur  amounted  to  the  large  sum  of  82,000/.  From 
the  preceding  the  kind  of  diflSculties  that  have  been  over- 
come in  carrying  out  such  works  in  Paris  of  recent  years 
will  be  tolerably  apparent.  A  large  work  might  be  filled 
with  like  details. 

Naturally  the  features  of  the  boulevards  which  command 
most  attention  in  this  book  are  the  trees.  The  advantage 
of  having  a  full  knowledge  of  the  best  boulevard  and  city 
trees  is  so  great  that  a  special  chapter  is  devoted  to  them. 
It  is  truly  surprising  to  see  how  well  these  are  managed  in 
Paris,  and  to  what  an  enormous  extent  they  are  planted,  as 
well  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  on  the  boulevards,  and  along 
the  river,  as  on  the  scores  of  miles  of  suburban  boule- 
vards, radiating  avenues  and  roads,  the  sides  of  which  one 
would  think  capable  of  supplying  Paris  with  building 
ground  for  a  dozen  generations  to  come.  The  planting  in  all 
the  London  parks  is  as  nothing  compared  to  the  avenue 
and  boulevard  planting  in  and  around  Paris.  The  trees  are 
nearly  all  young,  but  very  vigorous  and  promising.  Every 
tree  is  trained  and  pruned  so  as  to  form  a  symmetrical 
straight-ascending  head,  with  a  clean  stem.  Every  tree  is 
protected  by  a  slight  cast-iron  or  stick  basket ;  it  is  staked 
when  young,  and  when  old  if  necessary,  and  nearly  every 
tree  is  provided  with  a  cast-iron  grating  six  feet  wide  or  so, 
which  efiectually  prevents  the  ground  from  becoming  hard 
about  the  trees  in  the  most  frequented  thoroughfares, 
permits  of  any  attention  they  may  require  when  young,  and 
of  abundance  of  water  being  quickly  absorbed  in  summer. 
The  expense  for  these  strong  and  wide  gratings  must  be 
something  immense,  but  assuredly  the  result  that  will  be 
presented  by  the  trees  a  few  years  hence  will  more  than 
repay  for  all  the  outlay  by  the  grateful  shade  and  beauty 
they  will  afford  the  town  in  all  its  parts.  As  soon  as  a  new 
road  or  boulevard  is  made  in  Paris,  it  is  planted  with  trees ; 
and  every  one  of  the  millions  is  as  carefully  trained  and 
protected  as  a  pet  tree  in  an  English  nobleman^s  park. 

The  trees  recently  planted  on  the  boulevards  are  placed 
at  a  uniform  distance  of  between  sixteen  and  eighteen 
feet.     To  plant  so  closely  of  course  helps  to  furnish  the 


128  THB   BOULEVARDS. 

streets  with  some  shade  almost  directly ;  and  as  the  trees  are 
usually  trained  specially  for  boulevard  planting  some  little 
effect  is  obtained  at  once ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it 
is  too  close  a  system  of  plantings  as  the  trees  cannot  grow 
sufficiently  when  so  much  crowded.  A  better  way  would  be  to 
place  them  five  or  ten  feet  further  apart^  and  plants  alternately 
with  the  trees  destined  to  grace  the  boulevard  eventually, 
some  kind  that  grows  very  rapidly  when  young.  This  would 
help  to  furnish  and  freshen  the  avenue  until  the  trees  in- 
tended to  permanently  adorn  it  have  been  established  and 
advanced  a  few  years;  and  as  soon  as  those  of  the  free  growing 
nursing  kind  have  become  large  enough  to  deprive  their 
neighbours  of  light  they  may  be  cut  in  vigorously,  and  finally 
removed  altogether.  Sometimes  double  ranks  of  trees  are 
planted,  but  this  is  only  wise  where  there  are  very  wide 
boulevards.  It  is  occasionally  practised  in  avenues — like 
some  of  those  that  radiate  from  the  Arc  de  Triomphe ;  but 
usually  it  has  the  effect  of  darkening  the  houses  too  much. 
Where,  as  is  often  the  case  in  the  outer  boulevards,  there  is 
abundant  room  for  a  double  or  even  treble  line  of  trees  to 
develope  without  disagreeably  shading  the  houses,  they 
should  of  course  be  planted.  The  trees  are  usually  placed 
within  three  and  a  half  or  four  feet  of  the  edge  of  the 
footway,  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  would  be  a 
better  plan  to  keep  them  a  few  feet  further  from  the  road, 
^d  this  would  admit  of  giving  them  a  larger  body  of  soil. 
Generally  in  Paris  they  receive  too  little. 

"When  the  boulevard  is  marked  out  and  levelled,  if 
the  soil  is  of  bad  quality,  as  is  nearly  always  the  case, 
trenches  are  dug  in  the  footway,  from  one  end  of  the 
boulevard  to  the  other.  The  width  of  this  trench  is 
usually  about  six  feet,  and  its  depth  four  or  five;  and  before 
filling  it  in,  drain  pipes  are  laid  along  the  sides,  made 
with  lapped  joints  so  that  the  roots  shall  not  enter  between 
them.  The  trench  is  then  filled  with  good  garden  earth, 
raising  it  a  little  higher  than  the  level,  so  as  to  allow  for 
settling.  In  this  ground  the  trees  are  planted  at  about 
six  yards  apart.  They  should  be  carefully  chosen,  with 
perfect  roots,  and  moderately  pruned.     Formerly  the  stem 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  129 

was  cut  at  about  nine  feet  from  the  ground ;  but  this  bad  tbe 
bad  eflTect  of  preventing  tbe  top  of  the  tree  from  being 
straight^  and  the  practice  has  been  given  up.  The  trees 
are  next  staked  and  tied  with  wire  over  a  neat  wad  of 
straw^  which  prevents  all  injury  to  the  stem.  A  protecting 
cage^  neither  heavy  nor  very  expensive,  is  placed  round  the 
tree  to  prevent  accidents ;  and  if  the  weather  be  at  all  dry 
at  the  time  of  planting,  the  trees  are  copiously  watered.  As 
for  the  making  of  the  roads  and  streets,  it  is  admirable, 
as  many  readers  may  have  learnt  for  themselves.  When 
the  repairing  or  making  a  road  in  Paris  is  finished,  the  sur- 
face is  as  level  and  crisp  as  the  broad  walk  in  the  Regent's 
Park,  so  that  the  horses  are  spared  much  pain,  and  car- 
riage movement  greatly  facilitated.  Stones  of  about  the 
same  size  as  we  spread  on  the  roads  are  thrown  down,  and 
then  comes  the  heavy  steam  or  horse-drawn  roller,  making 
but  a  slight  impression  at  first,  as  might  be  expected,  and 
indeed  it  has  to  be  passed  over  many  times  before  the  work 
is  completed.  All  the  time,  or  nearly  all  the  time  that 
this  rolling  is  going  on,  a  man  stands  at  the  side  of  the 
footway  in  charge  of  a  hose  on  little  wheels,  and  keeps 
swishing  the  stones  with  water,  while  others  shake  a  little 
rough  sand  on  them  between  the  rollings ;  and  so  they  wash 
and  roll  and  grind  day  and  night — the  result  being  that  the 
Parisi&n  roads  are  as  comfortable  for  locomotion  as  could 
be  desired.  But  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
their  system  of  road-making  is  otherwise  superior  to  ours. 
K  we  took  the  trouble  to  grind  down  the  rough  and  sharp 
stones  used  in  repairing  the  streets,  there  would  be  little 
to  complain  of  as  regards  the  texture  of  our  roads ;  and  it 
would  probably  be  impossible  to  find  more  perfect  examples 
of  roads  than  those  in  Hyde  Park  since  the  introduction 
of  the  steam  rollers. 

It  is  not  an  imcommon  impression  among  us,  that  since 
lus  access  to  power  the  Emperor  has  most  industriously 
employed  himself  in  removing  all  the  paving  stones  from 
Paris,  so  that  they  may  not  be  used  against  him  in  case  of 
an  insurrection.  This  is  an  error ;  for,  although  the  wretched 
old  system  of  paving  is  being  done  away  with — ^greatly  to 


130  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

the  relief  of  the  ears  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  streets  in 
which  it  existed — ^nearly  all  the  important  new  boulevards 
have  a  considerable  breadth  on  each  side  well  paved  for 
heavy  waggon  transit.  This  prevents  the  larger  mac- 
adamized portion  in  the  centre  from  being  cut  up  by  the 
heavy  traffic  of  Parisian  streets^  and  leaves  it  free  for 
carriages  and  the  lighter  kinds  of  traffic.  In  some  of  the 
older  and  narrower  streets^  in  which  there  is  not  very  much 
traffic^  asphalte  has  taken  the  place  of  paving  stones — ^mak- 
ing a  road  that  is  almost  noiseless ;  but  its  chief  use  is  in 
the  formation  of  the  wide  and  excellent  footways  that 
border  all  the  new  streets  and  boulevards. 

Asphalte  has  long  been  used  in  Paris  for  two  reasons : 
firsts  the  supply  of  good  paving  stone^  similar  in  quality  to 
our  York  stone,  is  scarce,  and  the  few  quarries  that  do 
yield  it  are  far  distant  from  the  capital ;  and  secondly,  the 
peculiar  bituminous  sandstone  from  which  the  asphalte 
pavement  is  made,  is  cheap  and  abundant. 

Bad  attempts  at  laying  asphalte  produce  such  very  dis- 
agreeable results  that  the  very  name  must  be  dreadful  to 
some  people ;  but  in  a  sloppy  climate  the  advantage  of 
having  in  all  weathers  dry,  smooth,  and  permanent  footways, 
instead  of  cloggy,  saturated  gravel  or  mud,  is  so  great  that 
some  account  of  the  best  system  of  laying  this  material 
cannot  fail  to  be  useful.  Some  years  ago  asphalte'*  pro- 
duced a  regular  industrial  fever,  and  pavements  were  made 
in  all  directions  in  Paris  and  London,  of  any  material  that 
at  all  resembled  it.  Gas  tar,  wood  tar,  pitch,  and  all  sorts 
of  nastiness  were  ground  up  with  stone,  and  laid  down  with- 
out proper  preparation ;  the  consequence  of  which  was  that 
a  large  number  of  failures  took  place,  and  asphalte  pave- 
ments (at  least  in  this  country)  were  very  soon  completely 
tabooed  by  all  good  architects. 

Bituminous  limestone  occurs  naturally  in  many  parts  of 
the  world,  notably  at  Val  de  Travers,  in  the  canton  of 
Neufch&tel,  Switzerland,  and  at  Pyrimont,  near  Seyssel,  a 
small  town  in  the  department  of  Ain,  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Khone.  The  asphalte  rock  from  Pyrimont  consists  of 
pure  limestone  impregnated  with  about  10  per  cent,  of  fossil 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  181 

or  natural  bitumen.  It  may  be  asked  bow  it  is  tbat  ordi- 
nary tar  or  pitcb  of  good  quality  mixed  witb  pounded  lime- 
stone does  not  answer  tbe  purpose  of  this  natural  combina- 
tion; but  it  is  found  by  experiment  that^  although  natural 
bitumen  differs  but  slightly  in  chemical  composition  from 
pitch  and  tar^  it  is  much  more  elastic  and  durable.  If  made 
with  tar^  the  resiQting  asphalte  is  sticky  and  soft  in  hot 
weather ;  if  with  pitchy  it  ia  too  brittle^  and  soon  cracks  and 
splits. 

In  the  natural  asphaltic  rock  the  bitumen  is  so  intimately 
combined  with  the  calcareous  matter^  that  it  not  only  resists 
the  action  of  the  air  and  water  for  a  considerable  time^  but 
even  that  of  some  of  the  strong  mineral  acids.  The  ancients 
were  in  the  constant  habit  of  using  natural  bitumen  instead 
of  mortar ;  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  the  stones  of  the 
Tower  of  Babel  were  cemented  together  with  the  same  ma- 
terial as  that  forming  the  footways  of  the  boulevards.  The 
principal  ingredients  used  in  forming  the  mastic  for  the 
pavement  is  the  dark  brown  bituminous  limestone  frx)m 
Pyrimont,  just  described.  The  stone  is  first  reduced  to  fine 
powder,  and  then  mixed  with  a  certain  proportion  of  mineral 
bitumen,  extracted  previously  from  another  portion  of  it. 

When  it  is  intended  to  be  used  for  covering  roofs,  lining 
tanks,  &c.,  no  other  addition  is  necessary ;  but  if  it  is  to  be 
used  for  paving,  a  certain  quantity  of  sea-grit  is  added. 
One  specimen  analysed  by  an  English  chemist  yielded  29  of 
bitumen,  52  of  limestone,  and  19  of  siliceous  sand.  The 
ingredients  are  exposed  for  some  hours  to  a  strong  heat  in 
large  cauldrons,  and  kept  constantly  stirred  by  machinery. 
The  mastic  thus  formed  is  made  into  blocks,  measuring 
eighteen  inches  square  by  six  inches  deep,  and  weighing 
from  1121b.  to  1301b.  each.  In  this  state  they  are  sold 
ready  for  use,  and  are  remelted  on  the  spot  where  the 
asphalte  has  to  be  applied ;  for  which  purpose  small  portable 
furnaces  fitted  with  cauldrons  are  employed.  A  pound 
weight  of  mineral  bitumen  is  first  put  into  the  cauldron,  and 
when  melted  561b.  of  the  mastic  are  added,  the  whole  being 
repeatedly  stirred.  "When  fully  mixed,  another  561b.  of 
mastic  are  stirred  in,  and  so  on  until  the  cauldron  is  full. 

k2 


132  THB   BOULEVARDS. 

When  thorofughly  melted — ^which  may  be  told  by  the  mastic 
dropping  fredy  off  the  stirrer^  and  by  jets  of  light  smoke 
darting  out  of  the  mixture — ^it  is  conveyed  quickly  to  the 
spot  where  it  is  to  be  used^  in  heated  iron  buckets  or 
ladles.  The  cauldron  ought  to  be  as  close  to  the  work  as 
possible^  and  in  covering  brick  arches  it  should  be  hoisted 
to  the  top  of  the  building.  It  must  be  clearly  understood 
that  the  only  kind  of  bitumen  to  be  used  is  that  impreg* 
nating  the  limestone  itself. 

In  fDrming  foot  or  carriage  ways  it  is  most  important  to 
secure  a  good  foundation  by  removing  or  ramming  the  soft 
earth,  and  laying  a  course  of  concrete,  care  being  taken  to 
allow  the  whole  to  dry  before  putting  down  the  asphalte. 
If  this  precaution  is  not  attended  to,  the  heat  will  convert 
the  moisture  in  the  concrete  into  steam,  and  fill  the  asphalte 
full  of  airholes  and  bubbles.  The  thickness  of  the  layer  of 
asphalte  may  be  regulated  by  slips  of  wood  arranged  across 
the  pavement  at  a  distance  of  30  inches  firom  each  other — a 
width  quite  suflBcient  for  one  man  to  work  at  at  a  time.  If 
two  men  are  employed,  double  the  width  may  be  taken,  as 
it  is  always  better  to  have  as  few  joints  as  possible.  The 
work  is  levelled  with  a  long  ctirved  wooden  spatula,  assisted 
by  a  loDg  straight  ruler,  which  stretches  across  the  layer  of 
asphalte,  over  which  it  is  moved  backwards  and  forwards, 
the  wooden  gauges  supporting  its  ends.  K  the  surface  is 
intended  to  be  smooth,  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  silver 
sand  and  slate  dust  or  plaster  of  Paris  is  sifted  over  it  before 
it  has  quite  set,  and  rubbed  down  with  a  flat  tool  of  wood. 
If  it  is  required  to  be  rough,  sharp  grit  is  to  be  beaten  in 
with  a  heavy  wooden  block.  One  portion  of  the  pavement 
being  complete,  it  is  best  to  proceed  to  lay  the  uext  but 
one,  leaving  the  intermediate  space  to  be  filled  up  after- 
wards, when  the  first  layer  is  firm  and  cold,  so  as  to  insure 
a  good  joint. 

The  thickness  of  asphalte  for  footways  varies  from 
half  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  quarter,  the  former  being 
su£Scient  for  common  floors  and  courtyards,  the  latter  for 
carriage  pavements.  A  thickness  of  firom  half  an  inch  to 
five*eighths  is  sufficient  for  roofs  and  the  coverings  of  arches. 


THE  BOTTLEYARDS.  183 

and  for  lining  tanks  and  ponds^  and  about  half  an  inch  for 
the  ground  line  of  brickwork  to  prevent  the  damp  from 
rising.  An  asphalted  surface  admits  of  easy  repair.  By 
placing  hot  mastic  on  the  places  requiring  it^  the  faulty- 
part  may  be  cut  away  and  the  edges  cut  square^  when  the 
hot  material  will  be  found  to  adhere  to  them  if  they  are 
perfectly  free  from  damp  or  moisture. 

The  great  secret,  then,  in  obtaining  a  perfect  layer  of 
asphalte  paving,  dry,  hard,  elastic,  warm,  and  durable,'  is 
first  to  employ  only  the  natural  material,  such  as  that  from 
Pyrimont-Seyssel ;  and  secondly,  to  provide  a  firm,  dry  sub- 
stratum of  concrete  for  it  to  rest  upon.  For  pavements, 
terraces,  &;c.,  nothing  can  be  better.  It  is  always  warm 
and  elastic  to  the  tread ;  there  are  no  joints  to  encourage 
the  accumulation  of  filth  or  the  growth  of  weeds ;  and  in 
case  of  rain  it  dries  in  a  few  minutes.  As  laid  down  by 
the  Seyssel  Asphalte  Company,  its  durability  is  immense. 
The  whole  of  the  quadrangle  in  Trafalgar-square  has  been 
laid  with  asphalte  since  1863,  and  yet  there  is  no  sign 
of  wear  upon  it,  in  spite  of  the  enormous  traffic.  The 
terrace  at  Bridgewater  House  is  also  an  excellent  specimen. 
K  the  reader  desires  to  see  a  really  bad  example,  he  has 
only  to  examine  the  pavements  of  some  of  the  metropolitan 
stations  of  the  Midland  Railway  to  see  what  badly-laid 
asphalte  made  of  improper  materials  is  capable  of  be- 
coming, in  the  course  of  even  a  few  months. 

For  roadways  and  carriage  drives  asphalte  does  not  seem 
so  applicable.  In  dry  weather  it  is  all  well  enough,  but 
after  rain,  more  especially  if  there  is  any  mud  about,  it 
becomes  disagreeably  slippery  both  for  horses  and  foot  pas- 
sengers. For  laying  between  the  courses  of  brickwork  to 
prevent  the  damp  from  rising,  it  is  unequalled,  a  layer,  even 
only  one  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  keeping  all  damp  down 
most  effectually.  It  is  especially  fitted  for  this  purpose  in 
the  case  of  boat  houses  built  by  the  sides  of  rivers  or  lakes. 
For  ornamental  ponds  and  banks  it  is  also  excellent,  but  it 
should  be  roughened  for,  say,  a  foot  in  depth,  so  as  to  hold 
sufficient  soil  or  mud  to  grow  water  plants  and  weeds,  and 
so  entirely  conceal  its  existence.   As  to  its  cost^  in  England 


184  THE   BOULEVARDS. 

it  is  somewhere  about  lOdf.  per  superficial  foot  for  quan- 
tities not  less  than  700  feet.  For  roofs  and  terraces  to 
the  same  extent^  the  cost  would  be  about  2d.  extra. 

During  the  last  few  years  the  preparation  of  the  asphalte 
in  Paris  has  been  much  improved.  Some  years  ago^  when 
a  pavement  was  to  be  made  with  bitumen^  a  great  nuisance 
was  experienced  by  the  public  during  the  operation.  The 
mastic  was  liquefied  on  the  spot^  and  produced  a  nasty 
smell  and  smoke^  disagreeable  and  injurious ;  but  now  some 
of  these  inconveniences  have  been  done  away  with  by  a  new 
system^  and  asphalte  is  now  laid  down  in  the  most  expedi- 
tious manner.  It  is  prepared  first  in  out-of-the-way  places 
devoted  to  the  purpose,  and  the  matter,  ready  for  use  and 
liquefied,  may  be  transported  from  these  places  to  any 
parts  of  the  town  without  the  least  inconvenience  in  a  semi- 
cylindrical  boiler,  closed  by  iron  doors,  and  moved  about  on 
iron  wheels  as  freely  as  a  common  cart.  Under  the  boiler 
is  a  fireplace,  and  the  blaze,  after  having  heated  the  two 
sides  of  the  boiler,  passes  out  by  a  chimney  placed  at  the 
back  of  the  machine.  Means  to  keep  the  mastic  in  motion, 
and  prevent  its  burning  by  adhering  to  the  sides  of  the 
boiler,  are  secured  by  a  simple  mechanism  easily  worked 
with  the  hand.  These  carriage  boilers,  fuU  of  liquid  asphalte, 
are  driven  from  place  to  place  with  the  greatest  facility. 
The  boiler  is  emptied  by  the  means  of  a  pipe  fixed  to  its 
bottom,  and  the  mastic  is  collected  in  a  pail,  and  spread 
on  the  surface  to  the  thickness  of  three-quarters  of  an  inch. 

If  the  surface  is  not  perfectly  dry,  the  drying  must  be 
accelerated  with  hot  ashes,  which  are  to  be  taken  away 
afterwards,  or  with  a  little  spreading  of  quicklime  in 
powder.  These  operations  are  indispensable,  as  if  the 
mastic  were  laid  on  before  the  surface  is  dry,  the  heat 
of  it  would  dispel  in  steam  the  water  underneath, 
and  that  steam  would  produce  blisters  in  the  asphalte, 
which  would  crack  under  the  pressure  of  the  feet,  and 
endanger  the  success  of  the  operation.  The  workmen 
place  on  the  platform  two  iron  bars  of  the  same  thickness 
as  the  asphalte  is  to  be,  equally  distanced  from  each  other ; 
it  is  then  laid  down  in  a  very  warm   state,  and  thick 


THE   BOULEVARDS.  185 

enough  to  require  some  slight  exertion  of  the  operator  to 
make  it  level.  This  operation  done^  a  small  quantity  of 
fine  gravel  must  be  spread  over  the  asphalte  while  hot,  and 
slightly  beaten  down  to  penetrate  in  it.  This  gives  a 
greater  hardness  and  solidity  to  the  footway,  and  insures 
its  lasting  for  a  very  long  time. 

The  roads  before  spoken  of  are  made  of  the  powdered 
and  not  liquid  asphalte.  The  surface  of  the  roadway  must 
be  beaten  down  very  hard,  and  covered  with  a  thickness  of 
about  three  inches  of  concrete,  well  beaten  down  and  dry. 
K  the  dryness  is  very  necessary  in  the  making  of  a  pave- 
ment, this  condition  is  of  a  greater  importance  for  the  road, 
as,  if  the  powder  were  spread  on  a  wet  surface,  the  steam 
caused  by  the  heat  would  produce  a  great  number  of  little 
fissures,  the  elasticity  would  be  destroyed,  and  the  road 
would  be  useless  after  a  few  months^  use.  The  concrete  well 
dried,  the  powder  (hot)  must  be  spread  about  three  inches 
thick ;  and  then  well  levelled  and  beaten.  The  sides  must 
be  done  first,  and  pressed  down  with  a  rectangular  iron 
pestle  eight  or  nine  inches  in  length  and  two  or  two  and 
a  half  inches  in  width.  When  the  sides  are  done,  proceed 
with  the  middle.  The  pestles  used  in  pressing  it  are  made 
of  cast-iron,  circular,  and  about  eight  inches  in  diameter. 
The  pestles  of  either  form  are  heated  and  used  quite  hot,  so 
as  to  compress  the  asphalte  into  a  hard  smooth  mass. 

When  the  crust  of  asphalte  is  brought  to  the  thickness 
required,  and  is  sufficiently  smoothed  and  beaten  hard,  they 
spread  with  a  sieve  a  little  quantity  of  very  fine  powder  to 
fill  all  the  unevenness,  and  again  smooth  the  whole  with  a 
flat  piece  of  hot  iron.  The  compression  is  completed  by  the 
employment  of  two  cast-iron  rollers,  one  of  4f0001b.  weight 
and  the  other  of  30001b.  Sometimes  three  of  these  rollers 
are  employed,  the  intermediate  one  being  about  15001b.  or 
16001b.  in  weight.  This  rolling  is  not  always  necessary,  and 
in  many  cases  the  beating  down  with  pestles  is  sufficient. 
The  roads  thus  made,  completely  noiseless  and  lasting  a  long 
time,  have  been  adopted  vrith  the  greatest  success  by  the  city 
of  Paris,  and  are  supplanting  the  paving  stones,  macadamiz- 
ing, and  other  pavements,  in  narrow  streets  where  there  is 


186  BATHINQ. 

not  much  traffic  Some  beautiful  smooth  roads  through 
the  Luzemboui^  gardens  have  been  made  of  this  powdered 
aaphalte,  and  triUiout  the  use  of  heavy  rollers,  the  hot 
smoothing  irons  only  being  \ised. 

Bathing. — With  the  boulevards  one  naturally  associates 
the  quaysj  planted  in  every  available  spot  with  trees,  and  in 
Paris  the  public  swimming  baths  are  all  on  the  silent  boule- 
vard. However,  the  Seine  at  Paris  is  not  a  noble  river,  and 
the  ugliest  things  to  be  seen  from  its  banks  in  summer  are 
the  Boating  baths,  which  in  some  places  half  cover  its  surface. 
But  public  bathing  is  a  matter  of  the  highest  importance,  and 

F;n.  60. 


IntonoT  of  floatiog  b&th  on  the  Seioe. 

it  is  perhaps  better  to  have  floating  baths  on  the  river  than 
tolerate  the  astounding  exhibition  of  naked  humanity  which 
may  be  witnessed  on  the  Serpentine  on  any  warm  summer 
evening.  My  firiend  Mr.  Gibson,  of  Battersea  Park,  thinks 
these  floating  baths  would  be  a  desirable  improvement  on 
our  river,  and  from  its  size  they  need  not  produce  such  an 
ugly  effect  as  at  Paris.  With  a  clean  river,  a  constant  cur- 
lent  of  fresh  water  is  a  great  advantage  of  these  baths ;  and 
then  they  are  not  costly,  and  are  closed  in  from  pablie  view. 
But  whatever  may  be  thought  upon  this  point,  it  is  certain 
that  there  is  no  question  connected  with  the  healthful  exer- 


BATHINO.  137 

cise  of  the  people  tliat  has  been  more  neglected  than  that 
of  public  bathing. 

Everybody  knows  with  what  alacrity  the  cockney  ''takes  to 
the  water'^  in  summer^  although  indeed  he  can^  as  a  rule,  only 
do  so  under  great  difficulties.  The  pluck  that  must  be  re- 
quired to  venture  to  bathe  amid  such  an  assemblage  as  that  in 
Hyde  Park  must  be  of  itself  considerable^  and  yet  the  enor- 
mous crowds  that  practise  it  here  show  us  to  what  an  extent 
deceut  cleanly  bathing  would  be  taken  advantage  of  by  the 
working  population  of  London.  If  it  were  provided  it  would 
prove  one  of  the  greatest  boons  that  could  be  conferred  on 
them ;  and  surely  no  great  good  could  be  so  cheaply  effected 
as  that  of  providing  proper  bathing-places  in  all  our  parks 
and  open  spaces.  The  benefit  to  be  got  by  the  regular 
practice  of  bathing  by  our  working  men  during  the  summer 
months  could  not  be  equalled  by  any  other  exercise  or 
recreation.  It  is  a  good  of  which  the  advantages  have  not 
to  be  pointed  out  to  the  people  ;  and  every  one  of  our  parks 
offers  capital  positions,  in  which  inexpensive  bathing-places 
might  be  made.  Bathing-places  should  always  be  intro- 
duced in  a  quiet  and  somewhat  retired  part  of  a  park  or 
public  garden.  They  should  be  surrounded  by  plantations 
sufficient  to  thoroughly  conceal  the  bathing  from  aU  but  the 
bathers.  They  should  be  made  of  a  convenient  depth  for  swim- 
ming purposes,  and,  above  all  things,  should  have  a  clean  level 
bottom;  for  a  sticky,  muddy  bottom,  such  as  is  likely  to  occur 
in  some  places  about  London,  is  very  objectionable ;  and  in 
making  a  swimming  pond  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  provide 
against  this.  They  should  be  surrounded  by  a  diversified 
plantation  of  trees  and  shrubs,  with  the  taller  growing  sub- 
jects kept  somewhat  back,  and  with  an  inner  edge  of  dense 
dwarf  shrubs.  The  free-growing  and  smoke-enduring  ever- 
greens, such  as  Box  and  Aucuba,  should  be  extensively 
used  around  these  bathing-places,  which  should  also  have  a 
very  wide  marginal  walk  of  clean  gravely  and  long  seats  in 
recesses  of  the  shrubbery  borders. 

It  would  be  an  excellent  plan  if  roomy  sheds  were  also 
erected  near  the  water^s  edge,  but  slightly  thrown  back  and 
concealed  by  vegetation.     These  might  be  well  utilized  in 


188  BATHINO. 

the  winter  as  a  working  place  for  the  park  men^  or  any 
other  labourers  employed  about.  In  it  they  could  make 
brooms^  prepare  wood^  paint  hurdles^  make  labels  and  pegs^ 
and  many  other  things  that  are  in  constant  use.  Of  course 
this  should  only  be  done  in  bad  weather.  In  all  places 
where  a  number  of  workmen  are  employed  in  winter,  there 
is  generally  a  diflBculty  in  providing  men  with  work  unless 
there  are  large  sheds :  such  to  the  sagacious  manager  prove 
a  great  boon.  They  might  also  be  advantageously  used  as 
winter  storehouses  for  seats,  boats,  and  other  things  which 
must  be  used  in  our  recreation  grounds,  if  we  are  to  afford 
the  people  sufficient  amusement  and  attraction  therein. 
But  their  chief  use  would  be  in  making  it  possible  for 
people  to  bathe  at  all  times.  How  many  summer,  spring, 
and  autumn  days  are  there  on  which  bathing  would  be  a 
delight,  but  when  showers  of  rain  forbid  it  in  the  open  air  I 
Of  course  men  cannot  strip  and  bathe  and  then  get  into 
wet  clothes ;  and,  like  other  exercises,  bathing,  if  not 
regularly  practised,  is  not  productive  of  much  good.  Those 
sheds  would  afford  a  place  where  the  clothes  could  be  kept 
dry,  and  then  rain,  light  or  heavy,  would  not  produce  any 
difference — a  swim  would  be  as  enjoyable  in  the  heaviest 
of  rains  as  at  any  other  time.  Partial  bathing,  such  as  that 
practised  in  the  Serpentine  during  the  mornings  and  even- 
ings, merely  meets  the  wants  of  a  few  persistent  morning 
bathers,  and  a  host  of  the  roughest  of  the  great  unwashed 
in  the  hot  summer  evenings. 


139 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   JARDIN    FLEURISTE   AND   OTHER   PUBLIC    NURSERIES   OF 

THE    CITY   OP   PARIS. 

In  its  public  nurseries  Paris  possesses  a  very  useful  aid 
which  we  have  not  in  this  country.  With  us  each  park  or 
garden  produces  or  purchases  its  own  supplies ;  in  Paris  all 
the  gardens  of  the  city  are  furnished  from  its  nurseries.  It 
should  be  observed  that  in  Paris  there  are  two  sets  of 
public  gardens — those  of  the  city  comprising  the  boulevards, 
squares^  parks^  church  gardens^  and  so  on^  and  those  of  the 
State,  the  gardens  of  the  Luxembourg,  Tuileries,  &c.  All  are 
equally  open  to  the  public — all  arranged  with  a  view  to  its 
pleasure  and  convenience;  but  in  the  case  of  the  State 
gardens  each  supplies  its  own  stock.  What  we  have  to 
deal  with  now  is  the  manufactory,  so  to  speak,  for  the  vast 
array  of  gardens  and  open  spaces  made  during  recent  years. 
At  one  time  the  old  State  gardens  were  by  far  the  most 
important  in  Paris;  now  they  are  quite  eclipsed  by  those 
created  specially  for  the  city  and  its  people,  and  not 
merely  as  the  surroundings  of  a  palace  or  the  pleasure- 
gardens  of  princes.  Considering  that  the  whole  is  of  such 
recent  growth,  the  success  of  the  arrangements  is  surprising. 
In  commencing  to  improve  the  town  by  means  of  public 
gardens,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  a  wise  step  to 
begin  with  central  nurseries  or  plant  manufactories,  from 
whence  aU  those  gardens  could  be  supplied. 

The  advantage  of  having  public  nurseries  of  this  kind  to 
supply  the  parks,  gardens,  and  squares  of  a  great  city  are 
so  great,  that  it  is  surprising  they  have  not  been  already 
adopted  with  us.  Not  only  could  the  necessary  trees, 
shrubs,  and  flowers  be  procured  much  more  cheaply,  but  a 
far  greater  selection  of  choice  subjects  would  be  at  the 


140  THB   JA&DIN   FLSURISTB   AND   OTHEB 

disposal  of  the  planters.  By  selecting  ground  favourable  to 
each  class  of  plants^  shrubs^  or  trees^  the  whole  of  the  sub- 
jects in  that  particular  section  could  be  grown  to  as  great 
perfection  as  by  any  nurseryman— could  be  produced  at  a 
far  cheaper  rate  than  they  could  be  bought ;  and  the 
necessity  of  searching  for^  bargaining,  and  selecting  would 
be  done  away  with,  the  planter  haying  merely  to  indicate 
the  subjects  required.  They  could  be  quickly  despatched 
to  any  given  point  in  vans  constructed  for  the  purpose.  In 
addition  to  these  advantages,  a  small  portion  of  each  nursery 
might  be  devoted  to  an  experimental  ground  to  test  newly 
introduced  or  imperfectly  known  plants ;  and  in  this  respect 
each  would  be  of  valuable  aid,  not  only  to  the  State,  but 
also  to  the  general  public.  With  our  parks  and  cltown 
lands  in  which  to  select  positions,  the  establishment  of  such 
gardens  would  not  be  expensive,  and  would  in  a  very  few 
years  save  the  first  cost  of  their  construction.  Our  large 
nurserymen  would  feel  a  pleasure  in  contributing  their 
novelties  and  rarities,  as  they  now  do  to  our  botanic  gardens, 
and  a  system  of  exchange  might  be  arranged  between  them 
to  the  advantage  of  both  public,  private,  and  commercial 
^tablishments. 

The  present  system  is  too  bad  to  last.  We  have,  in  and 
around  London  and  our  other  great  cities,  nimierous  public 
parks  and  gardens,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  their  number  will  go 
on  increasing  &om  year  to  year.  Let  us  suppose  that  the 
superintendent  or  designer  of  a  new  public  park  or  garden 
wants  many  thousand  trees  and  shrubs  for  its  embellishment. 
He  has  to  obtain  them  wherever  he  can,  and  as  the  nurseries 
are  arranged  chiefly  or  solely  for  private  use,  most  probably 
there  will  be  great  difficulty  in  getting  some  things  even  at 
a  high  rate.  For  example,  a  very  important  item  in  town 
gardening  consists  of  trees  for  park  and  avenue  planting.  K 
at  the  present  moment  we  wished  to  plant  an  avenue  of 
Plane  trees,  of  suitable  size  and  properly  prepared  for  the 
purpose,  we  should  no  doubt  have  to  send  to  the  Continent 
for  them,  as  in  our  own  nurseries  they  are  not  prepared  for 
street  planting;  in  which  case  they  would  cost  much  more 
than  if  bought  in  this  country,  and  be  in  far  worse  condition 


PUBLIC  NURSERIES   OF  THE   CITT   OF  PARIS.      141 

for  tlie  purpose  than  if  they  had  been  grown  at  home.  The 
Flanes  recently  placed  on  the  Thames  embankment  have 
been  imported  from  the  Continent^  and  of  course  there 
would  not  have  been  the  slightest  occasion  for  this  if  we 
possessed  the  kind  of  establishment  I  suggest^  and  of  which 
the  necessity  must  be  seen  by  every  reader.  In  Paris  there 
is  a  great  central  establishment  at  Passy  where  all  the 
tender  plants  are  grown  and  increased^  and  there  are 
nurseries  specially  devoted  to  the  production  of  city  trees 
and  shrubs^  in  which  the  most  suitable  kinds  are  grown, 
and  grown  exactly  to  the  size  and  shape  in  which  they  are 
best  suited  for  being  placed  on  the  boidevards^  or  in  the 
parks  or  gardens.  The  cost  of  each  plant  or  tree  is  in  this 
case  a  mere  trifle ;  in  our  own  the  plantation  of  even  a  very 
small  park,  or  one  boulevard,  would  amount  to  a  very  con- 
siderable sum.  To  pay  a  guinea  apiece  for  specimens  that 
we  could  produce  for  a  few  shillings,  and  a  shilling  or  two 
each  for  common  stuflF  that  we  could  grow  for  a  few  pence, 
is  to  follow  a  plan  whereby  our  public  gardening,  and  con- 
sequently the  health  and  beauty  of  our  cities,  are  con- 
siderably retarded. 

The  Jardin  Fleuriste  of  the  city  of  Paris  is  situated  in 
the  Avenue  d^Eylau,  close  to  the  Porte  de  la  Muette, 
leading  to  the  principal  promenade  of  the  Bois  de  Boulogne, 
and  should  be  seen  by  every  visitor  interested  either  in 
public  or  private  gardening.  It  is  the  depot  for  all  the 
tender  plants  used  in  the  decoration  of  the  parks,  gar- 
dens, and  squares  of  the  city.  Entering  from  the  Avenue 
d'Eylau,  the  first  objects  of  interest  that  meet  the  eye  are 
collections  of  handsome  plants  growing  in  the  open  air  on 
a  small  lawn  amidst  the  glass-houses  with  which  the  place 
is  nearly  covered.  My  object  is  not  to  describe  the  garden 
in  detail,  but  simply  here  as  elsewhere  to  point  out  its 
most  instructive  features.  To  me  the  most  interesting  and 
valuable  group  planted  on  this  lawn  is  a  number  of  hardy 
Bamboos,  proving  clearly  that  in  our  latitudes  we  may 
enjoy  the  peculiar  grace  and  verdure  of  these  giant  grasses, 
and  by  planting  them  highly  improve  the  appearance  of  our 
gardens  and  pleasure-grounds,  especially  in  places  under  the 


142      THE  JABOIN  FLEUBISTE  AND  OTHER 

mild  influences  of  the  sea  and  in  the  west  and  south  of 
England  and  Ireland.  As  the  family  is  alluded  to  in  another 
chapter^  I  will  say  no  more  of  it  here. 

On  the  grass  here  during  the  past  summer  might  be  seen 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  all  pea  flowers^  Clianthus 
Dampieri,  flowering  very  freely  in  the  open  air,  although 
we  find  it  so  difficult  to  grow  even  in  our  greenhouses.  It 
was  sown  in  February  and  planted  out  early  in  June  as  a 
tuft  of  several  plants,  isolated  on  the  grass,  but  rooted  in 
peat  soil.  The  shoots  grew  to  more  than  two  feet  in  length, 
and  began  to  unfold  gorgeous  blooms  at  their  apex  about 
the  beginning  of  August,  continuing  to  do  so  till  the  com- 
mencement of  October.  As  an  isolated  group  upon  the 
grass,  I  need  not  say  it  was  very  fine ;  and  I  believe  the  same 
success  could  be  obtained  in  mild  parts  of  this  country,  and 
in  many  places  against  the  low,  warm  waUs  of  glass  houses, 
&c.  It  should  be  raised  as  a  greenhouse  annual  and  planted 
out  about  the  first  week  in  June  in  peaty  soil.  Some  may 
not  be  aware  that  it  is  infinitely  more  beautiful  than  the  old 
brilliant  and  popular  C.  puniceus,  though,  unlike  that,  diffi- 
cult to  cultivate  and  impatient  under  the  most  skilful  treat- 
ment in  houses.  There  are  usually  many  fine  groups  of 
Yuccas,  Musas,  Cannas,  various  new  plants,  and  other  ob- 
jects of  interest  on  this  little  lawn  which  will  well  repay  a 
careful  examination.  The  most  remarkable  of  the  novelties 
of  the  past  season  was  Dimorphanthus  manchuricus,  a  re- 
markably handsome  plant,  reminding  one  of  Aralia  japonica. 
A  plant  of  it  a  few  inches  high  put  out  at  Passy  in  July,  1868, 
had  leaves  a  yard  long  and  thirty-four  inches  across  by  the 
middle  of  September.  It  will  prove  of  the  highest  value  in 
the  ornamental  garden. 

The  first  great  group  of  glass  houses  are  span-roofed.  The 
interior  arrangements  made  in  them  for  the  convenience  of 
ihe  workmen  and  for  the  preservation  of  the  plants  in  winter 
are  most  admirable,  and  should  be  adopted  by  us  in  all  similar 
instances.  We  build  more  hot-houses  than  any  other  people, 
construct  them  better,  and  furnish  them  better;  and  therefore 
it  is  desirable  that  in  disposing  them  in  relation  to  each 
other  we  should  employ  the  most  economical  and  convenient 


PUBLIC   NDBSERIES   OF   THE   CITT   OF   PARIS.      143 

plan.  Everybody  knows  how  often  they  are  scattered 
abont  without  any  connexion  with  eacli  other,  and  the  con- 
sequent additional  expense  and  trouble.  But,  even  where 
the  errors  of  the  scattering  aystem  are  guarded  against, 
there  is  seldom  an  effective  means  of  communicating  from 
one  to  the  other  without  going  in  the  open  air.  We  all 
know  how  disagreeable  it  ia  to  pass  from  a  moist  stove 
to  frosty  air — from  wet  gusts  to  damp  greenhouses  j  it  is 
dangerous  to  tender  plants  that  often  have  to  undergo  it 
OQcIothed;  nor  can  it  be  otherwise  than  injurious  to  the 
Fio.  51. 


GlaEt-cotered  corridor  botween  tbe  plant-lioates  in  tho  Jwrdin  Fleurute, 
health  of  those  employed  in  such  structures.  All  these 
incouvenieuces  are  got  rid  of  by  the  very  simple  plan 
adopted  in  the  case  of  the  group  of  houses,  the  arrange, 
ment  of  which  tbe  following  diagram  may  serve  to  explain. 
The  plant  houses  diverge  on  each  side  of  a  glass-covered 
passage,  and  there  is  no  necessity  for  taking  the  plants  into 
the  open  air  in  winter,  or  for  the  men  who  work  in  the 
houses  to  undergo  any  change  of  temperature  for  hours  at 
a  time.  The  houses  are  so  closely  arranged  together,  that 
heating  them  becomes  much  less  difficult  than  when  they 
are  separated.  The  advantages  of  the  plan  are  so  great 
that   I  should  strongly  advise  everybody  building  a  batch 


144 


THE   JARDIN   FLEDRISTE   AND   OTHER 


of  houses  for  growing  or  storing  plants  to  adopt  no  other. 
For  graperies  with  the  borders  outside  it  would  not  be  so 
suitable ;  but  where  good  borders  are  made  inside  it  would 
answer  weU;  or  the  yineries  or  peach-houses  might  form 
the  outer  four  houses  of  each  blocks  leaving  the  plant- 
houses^  forcing-houses^  &c.,  inside. 

Fia.  52. 


BOUBB  FOB  TOCHO  PLANTS 
RECENTLT  BOOTED. 

Q 

8 

< 
K 

4 

1 

> 

O 

PBOFAOATIHO  BOUBB. 

FBULBGOmm  H0U8B. 

FELABGOnUM  HOUBB. 

80LABUM  HOUBS. 

CIT^DIUM  AHD  ABUM  HOUSE. 

BBGOnA  H0T7BB. 

MIZBD  (AXLLBCnOH  HOUBB. 

Plan  flhowing  the  airangement  of  glass  booses  in  the  Jardin  Flenriste. 

Plants  may  be  grouped  in  the  passage,  where  narrow,  in 
half-OTal  groups  between  each  door.  In  large  places,  where 
money  is  not  an  object,  and  where  the  houses  on  each  side 
would  be  filled  with  very  ornamental  specimen  plants,  it 
would  be  a  capital  plan  to  make  the  central  passage  as  wide 
as  one  of  the  houses.  Beds  may  be  placed  between  the 
doors,  in  winter  garden  fashion,  and  climbers  run  up  the 
roof,  thus  converting  the  passage  into  a  most  agreeable 
promenade.  With  the  better  kinds  of  climbers  depending 
firom  the  roof;  a  few  belts  of  Oranges  and  Camellias, 
and  some  palms  and  fine-leaved  plants  here  and  there, 
to  lend  the  scene  grace  and  character,  I  can  fancy 
nothing  more  agreeable  in  the  way  of  winter  garden 
or  conservatory,  particularly  as  the  varied  contents  of 
the  houses  on  each  side  could  be  seen  through  the  glass 


FCBUC   NDB.SKEIES   01*   THE   CUT   OP   PARIS.       145 


ends  and  doors  from  the  promenade.  A  wide  gutter  separates 
ttte  roof  of  one  house  from  that  of  its  fellow — forming  a 
passage  along  which  men  can  freely  move  to  arraage  shading, 
Tentilation,  or  repairs.  It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  easj 
communication  between  all  parts  of  the  range  is  secured, 
that  the  plaots  just  rooted  in  the  propagating  house  have 
merely  to  be  carried  across  the  passage  to  the  house  devoted 
to  their  further  de- 
velopmeat.  The  plan 
is  capable  of  adap- 
tation in  various  ways, 
to  houses  either  large 
or  small. 

One  of  the  houses  in 
the  block  just  referred 
to  is  the  lai^est  and 
most  perfect  propagat- 
ing house  I  have  ever 
seen — being  more  than 
eighty  feet  long  and 
twenty-four  feet  wide. 
From  this  house  im- 
mense quantities  of 
plants  are  turned  out 
in  the  course  of  a  year, 
many   of  them    being 

large-leaved  Pieuses  and  \Jtf^ I  ■  5 

plants  that  are  difficult  M r  llllrliirunTr|   g. 

to  strike,  as  well  as  Be- 
gonias, bedding  and 
free  -  rooting  plants. 
It  contains  three  cen- 
tral aud  two  side  beds ; 
the  central  pits  are 
well  elevated,  and  every 
space  is  in  active  work, 
the  whole  presenting  a 
most  imposing  array  of 
lai^  bell-glasses. 


-'/\|[  1 1 1 

//^        « 

/                      * 

/ 

r-      ' 

/ 

1 

/ 

,/ 

ik 

■  / 

';l 

I    '      . 

i'L. 

iT 

(\' 

\ 

\ 

'l 

^-      . 

\              -smiii 

\ 

\ 

V               Luim 

Vrfllllllllllll 

146 


TBE   JAEDIH   FLKDBISTE   AND    OTHKE 


The  propagating  which  seemed  most  snccessfulj  is  carried 
^     ^  out  on  a  different  plan  to  onra. 

No  pans  are  used  in  this  hoose, 
but    very    small   pots,    a  shade 
laiger  than  a  thimble  :    in  each 
a  cutting   is   placed,    the  little 
pots  are  placed  in  the  tan,  and 
covered  with  large  circular  bell- 
glasees,    as   shown    by    fig.  55. 
The  greater  part  of  the  house  is 
occupied  with  these,  all  being  of 
the   same  size.      But  there   are 
some   special    arrangements  for 
propagating    the   more  difficult 
subjects,  and  among  them  may  be  noticed  what  appeared 
to  be  an  improvement — the  bell-glasees,  which  are  somewhat 
of  the  ordinary  shape,  being  provided 
^     '  with  an  aperture  at  the  top  of  about 

/"'     ^V.  two  inches  in  diameter,  into  which 

/  \  a  piece  of   sponge    is   squeezed  to 

/  \  absorb  the  moisture  from  the  inside. 

ylll>tlt|iU^|^  Nothing  could  be  more  busineas- 
MBBflhmmihialHl  like  than  the  arrangements  for  pro- 
pagating in  this  house.  We  will 
next  glance  at  a  few  of  the  more  re- 
markable collections  and  structures. 

Imagine  yourself  prepared  to  visit  a  propagating  establish- 
ment, and  then  finding  yourself  ushered  into  a  grand  coq- 
servstory  of  Camellias — a  second  being  in  connexion  with  it 
filled  with  Aralias,  YuccaSjBeancarneas, tree  ferns, Nicotianas, 
DatiyliHons,  Dractenas,  and  a  host  of  such  plants,  all  in  fine 
condition  and  well  arranged ;  and  another,  on  the  other  side, 
containing  healthy  palms  in  vast  numbers.  These  are 
arranged  in  three  longitudinal  beds,  while  all  along  the 
sides  of  the  house  is  a  belt  of  the  smaller  and  younger 
kinds,  plunged  in  tan  to  give  them  a  little  encouragement. 
To  look  along  the  pathway  between  these  long  beds  is 
like  glancing  into  a  firesh  young  tropical  palm  grove,  in  such 
perfect  health  are  the  plants,     '^en  it  is  considered  that 


bcll-giw 


PUBIilC   NURSERIES    OF   THE  CITT   OF   PARIS.       147 


Fio.  66. 


many  other  great  houses  are  in  the  garden^  besides  a  large 
field  of  pits  and  frames^  the  reader  will  agree  that  it  would 
be  out  of  the  question  to  examine  each  subject^  particularly 
when  it  is  stated  that  there  are  nearly  400  kinds  of  palms 
alone  in  this  establishment.  Though  it  is  essentially  a 
business  garden^  and  one  in  which  an  almost  innimie- 
rable  host  of  plants  have  to  be  annually  developed^  no 
slovenliness  of  arrangement  or  culture  is  apparent  in  any 
part. 

Seldom  indeed  do  we  see  such  efficient  economy  of  space 
in  gardens  as  is  the  rule  in  these  houses.  Under  the  benches 
are  packed  quantities  of  Caladiums^  Fuchsias^  Cannas^  and 
other  plants  that  may  be  efficiently  preserved  in  such  places 
in  winter ;  and  even  after  the  great  Arums^  &c.,  are  potted 
off  in  springs  they  are  placed  imderneath  for  a  short  time, 
every  available  inch  being  taken  advantage 
of.  Some  of  the  houses  are  large  lean-to's, 
and  instead  of  the  back  wall  being  left  naked, 
or  with  one  shelf  placed  against  it  at  the 
top,  there  is  a  series  of  shelves  one  above 
another,  six  altogether,  and  on  these  a 
multitude  of  plants  are  accommodated — 
Coleuses,  &c.,  in  the  warm  houses ;  Lan- 
tanas,  and  the  like,  in  the  cool.  They 
keep  well  on  these  during  the  winter,  and, 
if  drawn  a  little  or  discoloured,  the  mischief 
is  soon  counteracted  by  a  sojourn  of  a  few 
weeks  in  the  frames  in  spring.  In  the  large 
span-roofed  curvilinear  houses,  with  a  nar- 
row passage  through  the  centre,  there  is 
a  series  of  shelves  affixed  to  irons  on  each 
side  of  the  central  pathway,  and  on  these 
great  numbers  of  plants  are  stored,  so  that 

every  space  is  taken  advantage  of  without  shelve7fo7^ring 
in  the  slightest  degree  interfering  with  the  beddingplants along 
health  of  the  plants,  which  is  truly  admira-  '^"Se^^^ 
ble.  But  doubtless  it  is  necessary  thus  to  houBeBintheJardin 
economize  space,  for  the  enormous  number 
of  nearly  three  million  of  plants  is  annually  furnished  by  this 

L  2 


148  THE  JARDIN   FLEURI8TE   AND   OTHER 

^tablishment  for  the  embellisliment  of  Paris  and  its  environs. 
They  are  raised  at  a  very  cheap  rate — ^less  than  a  penny  each. 
It  should  be  observed  that  many  of  the  plants  are  such  as 
would  be  fit  to  embellish  any  exhibition^  numbers  of  them 
being  palms  and  fine-leaved  plants^  while  of  course  the  least 
valuable  are  simply  bedding  plants^  &om  Nierembei^as  to 
Pelargoniums^  of  which  last  400^000  plants  are  sent  out 
annually. 

If  neither  houses  nor  plants  were  seen^  the  potting-shed 
would  tell  of  extraordinary  operations^  for  in  the  centre 
there  is  a  great  wide  bench,  around  which  sixty  men  can 
work.  Ordinary  bedding  plants  are  kept  here  in  an  un- 
usually economical  manner.  A  large  space  of  ground 
is  covered  by  parallel  lines  of  rough  and  rather  shallow 
smaU  wooden  frames,  simply  and  cheaply  made— in  fact, 
such  as  the  rudest  workmen  could  put  together  during 
wet  weather.  The  frames  are  rather  closely  placed ;  and  the 
pathways  between,  and  indeed  all  the  spaces  aroimd  them, 
are  filled  up  with  leaves  and  mossy  rakings  from  the  ad- 
jacent Bois  de  Boulogne.  These  are  nearly  or  quite  piled 
up  to  the  edge  of  the  frames,  and  of  course  keep  the  plants 
warm  through  the  winter.  In  winter  the  floor  of  the 
frames  is  low ;  in  spring,  by  putting  in  a  quantity  of  the 
well  consolidated  leafy  stuff  before  named,  it  is  raised  so 
as  to  bring  the  foliage  of  the  plants  right  up  to  the  glass. 
All  the  material  is  removed  from  between  the  frames  in 
summer.  Many  of  these  frames  are  furnished  with  iron 
sashes,  so  that  only  the  rough  cheap  framework  is  exposed 
to  the  decaying  influences  of  the  weather.  The  large 
quantity  of  leaves  and  moss  thus  decomposed  is  preserved 
for  potting  purposes,  making  of  course  excellent  leaf-mould. 

A  number  of  houses  that  have  lately  been  erected  at  La 
Muette  materially  encroach  upon  the  space  occupied  by 
the  rough  framing  just  alluded  to,  which  they  are  destined 
eventually  to  replace.  These  houses  are  especially  intended 
for  bedding  plants,  and  are  so  well  adapted  for  that  end 
that  some  details .  about  them  may  be  useful.  They  have 
been  designed  on  an  excellent  plan  for  the  culture  of  such 
plants^  the  raising  of  seedlings^  and  for  the  growth  of  seed- 


PUBLIC   NDRSBBIE8   OF   THE   CITT   OF   PARIS.       149 


a  i 


ling  palms,  and  all  dwarf  aod  young  plants,  I  have  Been 
a  good  many  houses  devoted  to  similar 
purposes  in  public,  private,  or  commercial 
gardens  in  all  parts  of  these  islands,  but 
never  any  so  well-arranged  as  those  in 
the  Jardin  Fleuriste.  They  are  low, 
and  rather  narrow,  so  that  all  operations 
may  be  conducted  from  the  central  path- 
way. The  sashes  are  cheaply  jnade  of 
thin  iron,  and  the  roof  consists  of  one 
sasb  at  each  side.  Many  of  the  iron 
sashes  of  the  old  frames  were  utilized 
in  the  building  of  the  houses. 

As  you  pass  along  by  the  ends  of 
these  plant  houses  you  may  see  a  bench 
about  a  hundred  feet  long,  filled  com- 
pletely wiih  the  deeply  dyed  Alteman- 
theraa — a  sheet  of  colour ;  the  next 
devoted  to  young  palms,  as  green  and 
vigorous  as  If  in  their  native  wilds ; 
another  devoted  to  young  Dracaenas  and 
fine-leaved  plants  generally ;  and  so  on. 
The  benches  are  of  slate,  and  the  plants 
are  held  well  up  to  the  glass,  while 
quantities  of  subjects  in  the  way  of  Cannas 
and  Dahlias  may  be  stored  beneath,  as 
shown  in  the  engraving.  We  generally 
prefer  wooden  houses,  but  any  horticultu- 
rist who  has  seen  the  plants  in  this  low 
range  at  Fasay  will  agree  with  me  that 
no  plants  could  be  in  finer  health  oi 
condition;  while  the  very  permanent 
nature  of  the  structure  is  a  great  gain,  inasmuch  as  a 
wooden  series  of  the  same  character  would  require  a  com- 
plete overhaul  in  the  course  of  a  dozen,  and  perhaps  recon* 
struction  at  the  end  of  twenty  years. 

A  mode  of  protecting  these  houses  from  frost  by  means  of 
wooden  shutters,  each  about  the  size  of  the  sash  of  the  house, 
is  deserving  of  notice.     As  will  be  seen  by  the  engraving. 


160  THE  JABDIN   FLEUBISTB   AND    OTHER 

the  gutters^  strongly  lined  with  zinc^  are  wide,  so  that  men 
can  run  along  them  with  the  greatest  ease  to  protect  or 
shade  the  houses.  The  shutters  are  not  taken  from  hetween 
the  houses  every  day,  but  simply  left  in  piles  of  ten  or  so 
over  some  unoccupied  spot,  or  if  the  range  happens  to  be 
completely  filled,  each  pile  is  shifted  every  day  so  as  to 
prevent  the  plants  beneath  from  suffering.  The  facility 
and  simplicity  with  which  these  houses  may,  in  a  few  mi- 
nutes, be  thus  encased  in  wood  to  meet  a  very  severe 
trostj  and  without  the  least  untidiness  of  any  kind,  are 
admirable.  However,  matters  are  so  arranged  in  the 
houses  that  they  could  dispense  entirely  with  this  pre- 
caution, which  is  noticed  merely  from  its  adaptability  to 
many  places  where  a  great  number  of  bedding  plants  have 

where  the  means 
of  heating  suffi- 
ciently to  keep 
out  very  severe 
PAOTABK  Q  frosts     are     not 

forthcoming.  The 
ground  plan  of 
the  range  is 
nearly  the    same 

Portion  of  gronnd  plan  of  the  bedding-plant  honses  in  that     alreadv 

the  Jardin  Fleoriste.  inat     aireauy 

described,  so  that 
the  men  at  work  in  any  of  the  eighteen  houses  of  the 
block  already  completed,  may  pass  and  convey  plants  from 
one  to  the  other  without  passing  through  the  open  air. 
Thus  the  comfort  of  the  men  and  the  health  of  the  plant 
are  both  secured.  Already  nine  houses  are  arranged  on 
each  side  of  the  central  passage,  and  it  is  proposed  to 
continue  the  arrangement  till  aU  the  ground  previously 
devoted  to  framing  is  covered  with  this  class  of  house.  The 
visitor,  entering  at  the  outer  end  and  continuing  his  way 
through  any  of  the  houses,  would  at  its  further  end  meet 
with  the  covered  way  running  at  right  angles  to  it,  through 
which  he  could  enter  any  of  the  other  houses  he  wished  to 
see  without  again  exposing  himself  or  opening  any  doors  to 


PUBLIC   NUBSERIES   OF   THE   CITY   OF   PARIS.      151 

chill  the  plants  in  winter^  or  running  the  draughty  gauntlet, 
as  he  usually  has  to  do  where  houses  are  arranged  in 
the  ordinary  scattered  way.  Moreover,  as  in  many  cases, 
one  long  house  is  devoted  to  a  particular  species  or  variety 
in  much  request,  the  visitor  or  superintendents  may  see  the 
state  of  the  stock  by  simply  traversing  the  central  passage, 
and  looking  through  the  glass  dividing  it  &om  the  houses. 

But  though  the  ordinary  dwarf  bedding  plants  are  pre- 
served in  vast  quantities  both  in  the  rough  frames  and  the 
houses,  these  are  not  the  cheapest  ways  in  which  they  manage 
such  things  here,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  Many  have 
heard  of  the  graceful  use  made  of  the  Cannas  in  Parisian 
gardening.  These  are  preserved  in  a  most  efficient  way  in 
caves  under  the  garden.  When  the  stone  is  taken  out  of 
the  ground  for  building  purposes,  a  rough  propping  column 
is  left  here  and  there,  and  thus  dark  and  spacious  caves  of 
equable  temperature  are  left  underground.  They  are  in 
this  case  about  seven  feet  high,  and  are  used  for  storing 
plants  that  may  be  well  preserved  without  light  in  the 
winter.  You  descend  by  a  sloping  tan-covered  passage, 
and  most  likely  you  will  imagine  yourself  in  a  large  potato 
store  immediately  you  get  down,  as  heaps  of  different  kinds 
of  Canna,  and  those  that  are  by  no  means  common  with  us, 
are  in  winter  spread  upon  the  floor  a  yard  or  more  deep, 
and  twenty  feet  long.  The  tubers  of  some  of  the  large 
varieties  are  from  five  to  ten  inches  long,  and  the  men 
turn  them  over  just  as  they  would  the  contents  of  a  series 
of  potato-pits. 

Here  too  in  wide  masses  against  the  wall  are  arrayed 
quantities  of  Aralia  papyrifera,  the  handsome  and  much 
grown  species  so  useful  for  subtropical  gardening.  It 
seems  in  a  perfectly  firm  and  safe  condition,  growing  in 
this  dark  or  rather  gas-lighted  atmosphere,  and  sends  out 
long  blanched  leaves  of  a  delicate  lemon  colour,  which  will 
of  course  soon  acquire  a  healthy  green  when  the  plants  are 
placed  in  the  open  air.  Thus  they  preserve  Aralia  papy- 
rifera in  all  sizes,  and  this  fine  thing  is  turned  out  for 
garden  embellishment  almost  as  cheap  as  wall-flowers.  Of 
course  analogous  protection  could  be  given  to  such  things 


152 


THE    JARDIN    FLZURI8TB   AND    OTHER 


in  many  English  gardens  where  spa^e  may  be  limited,  and 
much  expense  out  of  the  question.  In  these  caves  were 
also  preserved  Brugmansias,  American  and  other  Agaves, 
Dahlias,  Fuchsias,  &c.,  and  it  seemed  to  me  about  the  best 
possible  place  for  storing  such  plants. 

The  quantities  in  which  you  see  rare  things  and  new 
bedding  plants  here  are  surprising.  Houses,  eighty  and  a 
hundred  feet  long,  are  filled  with  one  variety ;  and  others  of 
equal  size  are  devoted  to  the  raising  of  seedling  palms.  Sec., 


in  lai^e  quantities.  If  a  plant  be  considered  worthy  of 
attention  at  all  it  is  propagated  by  the  thouaaad;  30,000 
being  the  opening  quantity  for  a  new  thing  of  any  promise. 
During  the  past  autumn  50,000  cuttings  of  one  kind  of 
Fuchsia  were  inserted  in  one  week.  Dracffinas  are 
grown  here  more  abundantly  than  variegated  Pelargoniums 
in  many  a  large  English  bedding  garden,  and  the  Jardin 
Fleuriste  is  believed  to  possess  the  finest  collection  of  them 
in  existence.  In  one  house  a  specimen  of  each  kind  has 
been  recently  planted  out  for  trial  in  the  central  pit,  and 


* 

PUBLIC   NURSERIES   OF   THE   CITY   OF   PARIS.      153 

among  them  are  many  handsome  kinds  worthy  of  extensive 
nse  with  us. 

It  is  a  favourite  plan  here  to  devote  a  house  to  a  special 
subject.  Thus  there  is  a  large  and  fine  span-roofed  stove 
for  Ficuses ;  a  house  for  the  collection  of  Bananas, 
with  a  line  of  thirty  healthy  plants  of  Musa  Ensete 
forming  its  backbone^  so  to  speak ;  a  very  large  and  high 
curvilinear  stove  for  the  great  collection  of  Solanums ; 
special  houses  for  Arums^  Caladiums^  &c. ;  and  a  winter 
garden  about  120  feet  long  by  40  wide^  well  stored  with  a 
healthy  stock  of  the  usual  conservatory  plants,  with  here 
and  there  fine-leaved  things  like  Phormium  tenax,  a  very 
eflFective  plant  when  well  grown  in  pots  and  tubs,  and  of 
which  they  have  here  thousands  of  plants  of  various  sizes. 
Of  course  all  this  vast  collection  cannot  be  and  is  not  used 
for  summer  decoration.  It  is  employed  for  the  decoration 
of  the  H6tel  de  Ville,  where  10,000  plants  are  sometimes 
required  upon  a  single  occasion.  The  boilers  of  some  of  the 
smaller  houses  are  heated  by  gas,  and  in  this  way  a  very 
equable  temperature  is  preserved. 

It  may  give  some  approximate  idea  of  the  collection, 
when  it  is  stated  that  there  are  in  cultivation  nearly  twenty 
species  of  Banana,  about  fifty  kinds  of  Aralia,  forty  of 
Anthurium,  fifteen  of  Potlios,  thirty  of  Philodendron,  nearly 
one  hundred  and  twenty  of  Canna,  eighteen  of  Zamia,  and 
more  than  one  hundred  and  ten  of  Ficus,  while  families 
better  known  and  more  popular  are  counted  by  hundreds ! 

Although  the  place  is  chiefly  devoted  to  tender  plants, 
and  most  of  the  dwarf  hardy  subjects  are  grown  in  the 
nursery  in  the  Bois  de  Vincennes,  there  is,  nevertheless, 
some  interest  taken  in  hardy  plants,  seeing  that  a  part  of 
the  garden  is  devoted  to  one  of  the  most  extensive  col- 
lections of  Tulips  in  existence. 

It  is  a  regular  practice  in  this  and  other  new  public 
gardens  in  France  to  plant  out  a  sample  of  their  stock  of 
tender  flower-garden  plants  each  year  for  comparison.  In 
the  parks,  squares,  &c.,  they  of  course  have  opportunities  of 
seeing  how  they  thrive,  but  the  object  is  to  test  them  all 
growing  on  the  one  spot  and  under  the  same  conditions.  Thus^ 


154  THE   JARDIN    FLEURISTE. 

you  see  all  the  kinds  of  Canna  planted  out  in  one  place^  all 
the  varieties  of  Pelargonium  in  another^  and  so  on.  It  is 
a  good  practice^  but  it  is  needless  to  repeat  it  year  after 
year  to  a  large  extent.  K  you  have  thirty  species  of 
Solanum  planted  out  for  several  seasons  in  succession^  you 
must  know  all  that  you  want  to  know  respecting  their  com- 
parative value,  and  the  practice  here  of  planting  out  every 
year  old  kinds  time  after  time  is  useless.  All  that  is  ne- 
cessary is  to  test  the  new  additions,  and  in  some  cases  it 
may  be  desirable  to  plant  the  old  ones  by  them  for  com- 
parison, but  to  plant  out  annually  a  vast  collection  from  a 
well-known  family  is  quite  unnecessary. 

l^^gG,  light,  and  well-made  spring  vans  are  used  for 
transporting  the  stock  of  flowers  £rom  the  Jardin  Fleuriste 
to  the  parks  and  gardens,  and  from  one  nursery  to  the  other. 
They  are  about  twelve  feet  long,  and  a  little  over  six  feet 
wide.  By  a  simple  arrangement  each  van  is  made  to  do 
the  work  of  two — a  second  floor  of  strong  shutters,  hinged 
two  and  two  together,  being  placed  at  the  height  of  a  foot 
above  the  lower  floor,  of  the  van.  The  shorter  plants  are 
stowed  underneath,  those  on  the  upper  floor  may  be  as  tall 
as  you  like ;  but  as  the  stock  removed  in  this  way  usually 
consists  of  dwarf  subjects,  one  serves  as  well  as  the  other. 
By  means  of  this  plan  2000  plants,  each  in  single  pots,  are 
removed  at  a  time.  The  contrivance  is  merely  such  as 
common  sense  would  suggest ;  yet  for  want  of  a  little  such 
common  sense  how  much  labour  is  wasted !  How  frequently, 
for  example,  do  we  see  in  country  places  two  men  attached 
to  a  handbarrow  dragging  about  plants !  Of  course  it  is 
as  unnecessary  as  it  is  laborious  for  the  men.  There  is  often 
more  fuss  and  labour  over  transporting  the  summer  flowers 
of  a  country  place  firom  the  propagating  houses  to  the  flower- 
garden  than  occurs  with  the  several  millions  of  plants  fur- 
nished yearly  by  the  city  of  Paris,  and  all  for  the  want  of  a 
few  simply-contrived  spring  barrows.  Not  to  adopt  simple  faci- 
lities of  this  kindin  ourpublicgardensissheer  mismanagement. 

There  are  also  vans  of  peculiar  make  for  conveying  orna- 
mental plants  to  the  Hdtel  de  Yille.  Those  used  in  winter 
are  furnished  with  a  little  stove  with  flat  hot-water  pipes 


THE   PUBLIC   NURSERIES    FOR   TREES^   SHRUBS^  ETC.      165 

passing  round  the  interior,  so  that,  while  space  is  not  cur- 
tailed, the  van  is  efficiently  heated,  and  tender  plants  can 
be  conveyed  by  it  in  safety  in  the  depth  of  winter. 

Students  of  all  nations  are  admitted  to  this  establishment. 
They  must  be  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  must  have  spent 
some  time  in  practical  horticulture.  Their  pay  is  sixty  francs 
per  month  during  the  first  three  months,  seventy  during 
the  second^  and  after  that  eighty  or  eighty-five  francs  per 
month,  after  which  they  are  paid  according  to  capacity 
and  intelligence.  They  are  changed  from  section  to  section 
of  the  establishment,  so  as  to  study  with  profit  each  kind 
of  culture.  An  extensive  botanical  library  has  lately  been 
added  for  the  use  of  the  officers  and  students  of  this  establish- 
ment, and  is  now  being  catalogued  and  arranged.  It  con- 
tains nearly  all  the  standard  English  books  on  horticulture ; 
indeed  quite  half  the  books  are  English. 

Attached  to  the  Jardin  Fleuriste  are  a  forge,  a  carpenter's 
shop,  a  glazier's  and  painter's  shop,  stables,  and  other  offices. 
These  are  of  course  indispensable  where  economy  is  ne- 
cessary ;  and  saving  money  is  a  consideration  even  for  the 
city  of  Paris  at  present.  The  mode  of  glazing  with  several 
strips  of  lead-paper  laid  one  over  the  other,  as  practised 
here,  is  too  expensive  to  be  recommended :  it  costs  as  much 
as  the  glass  itself,  and  after  all  peels  off  after  a  time.  It  is 
known  as  the  couvre-joint  metallique  of  Celard,  16,  Rue  du 
Faubourg  du  Temple. 

The  Public  Nurseries  for  TVees,  Shrubs,  and  Hardy 
Flowers. — The  nursery  for  trees  for  the  boulevards  is  situated 
at  Petit  Bry,  near  Nogent-sur-Marne — a  somewhat  out-of- 
the-way  place.  The  nearest  railway  station  to  the  nursery 
is  that  of  Nogent-sur-Marne,  on  the  Strasbourg  line.  It 
consists  of  nearly  forty -five  acres,  entirely  devoted  to  the 
raising  of  the  commoner  and  more  useful  kinds  of  trees  for 
avenue  and  boulevard  planting.  On  entering  it  the  first 
peculiarity  that  strikes  the  visitor  is,  that  the  whole  of  the 
surface  of  the  ground  is  thrown  into  ridges  nearly  six 
feet  in  width,  on  the  apex  of  which  the  trees  are  planted. 
This  arrangement  is  adopted  in  consequence  of  the  ground 
being  occasionally  flooded  by  the  river  Marne,  which  is  close 


156  THE  PUBLIC   NI7R8EBI£8   FOR 

by^and  the  trees  being  injured  by  the  water  being  frozen  above 
the  base  of  their  stems.  But  the  necessity  of  taking  this 
precaution  resulted  in  an  advantage^  as  the  trees  being 
planted  on  the  apex  of  these  ridges^  and  with  the  collar  of 
each^  say^  a  foot  above  the  level,  make  their  roots  much 
nearer  home,  so  to  speak,  and  thus  their  transplanting  is 
rendered  much  more  easy.  When  the  time  comes  for  re- 
moving them  the  workmen  begin  at  one  end  and  turn  them 
out  quite  rapidly,  all  with  close  bundles  of  roots.  The  whole 
surface  of  the  nursery  is  thus  treated.  The  trees  are  a  little 
more  than  a  yard  apart  in  the  lines,  which  are,  as  may  be 
inferred  from  what  was  before  said,  within  a  few  inches  of 
six  feet  from  each  other. 

The  kinds  mostly  used  are  the  Western  Plane,  the  Horse- 
chestnut,  the  large-leaved  Elm,  the  Ailantus  glandulosa, 
Planeras,  and  Lombardy  poplars — the  last,  however,  are  not 
used  for  avenue  or  street  planting.  Other  kinds  used 
on  a  smaller  scale  than  these — the  Paulownia,  for  example, 
are  grown  at  Longchamps.  These  trees,  the  names  of 
which  are  put  down  in  the  order  of  their  importance,  are 
all  trained  straight,  and  sent  from  hence  to  the  boulevards 
for  planting  as  far  as  possible  of  an  equal  size.  The  rule  is 
to  send  them  out  with  a  clean  stem  nearly  ten  feet  high, 
and  about  eight  inches  in  circumference.  The  portion  above 
the  ten  feet  of  clear  stem  is  not  of  so  much  consequence 
and  may  vary,  but  if  the  trees  when  taken  up  for  planting 
do  not  present  the  length  of  clean  stem  considered  neces- 
sary, the  lower  branches  are  cut  away  till  it  is  attained. 
Of  course  the  trees  are  so  pruned  when  young  that  straight- 
ness  of  stem  is  obtained.  To  arrive  at  the  necessary  size 
and  fitness  the  Plane  requires  five  years,  the  Horse-chestnut 
ten,  the  Ailantus  four,  the  Elm  and  Planera  about  five 
years  each.  The  Elm  and  Planera  are  the  only  trees  that 
require  support  in  training  them  into  the  necessary  form, 
for  which  purpose  stakes  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  high 
are  used.  The  whole  place  is  surrounded  by  a  hedge  of 
Tamarix  tetrandra,  which  is  cut  down  occasionally,  and  the 
shoots  sent  to  the  Jardin  Fleuriste  for  stakes  for  house 
plants  and  the  like.  This  nursery  is  well  kept  and  managed, 
and  has  a  large  stock  of  street  trees. 


TEEES^    SHRUBS^    AND   HAEDT   FLOWERS.  157 

The  nursery  for  shrubs  is  very  pleasantly  situated  near 
the  racecourse  of  Longchamps  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne, 
and  is  somewhat  more  than  twelve  acres  in  extent.  I 
found  it  in  excellent  keepings  and  with  a  good  stock  both  of 
well-known  and  rarely  used  subjects.  Boses  and  all  kinds 
of  shrubs  and  hardy  climbers  are  grown  here^  as  well  as 
nearly  every  description  of  low  tree.  The  superin- 
tendent considered  the  Caucasian  Laurel  (Cerasus  cau- 
casius)  the  hardiest  and  best  of  any  he  had  tried.  There 
were  good  stocks  of  those  fine  hardy  Aralias — spinosa  and 
japonica :  they  should  be  everywhere  employed  for  the 
sake  of  their  large  and  handsome  leaves.  A  good  many 
subjects  were  out  for  trial  as  to  their  hardiness,  among 
them  an  extensive  collection  of  Japanese  plants.  Melia 
Azederach  was  in  a  healthy  condition  after  passing  a  sharp 
winter  in  the  open  air.  From  this  nursery  all  the  shrubs  of 
the  various  parks,  squares,  and  gardens  of  the  town  are  sup- 
plied. 

The  nursery  for  herbaceous  plants  is  situated  in  the  Bois 
de  Vincennes,  and  consists  of  nearly  twenty  acres  of  sandy 
ground  just  outside  the  fortifications,  near  the  Porte  Picpus 
and  Lac  Daumesnil.  There  were  here,  at  the  time  of  my 
visit,  five  or  six  acres  of  Chrysanthemums,  prepared  for 
bedding  in  the  various  parks  as  soon  as  the  frost  had  cleared 
them  of  their  summer  occupants.  There  were  also  large 
stocks  of  the  flowers  used  to  replace  the  Chrysanthe- 
mum and  decorate  the  gardens  in  spring.  The  stock  of 
spring  flowers  is  an  unvaried  one,  and  leaves  much  to  be 
desired.  Where  there  is  so  much  ground  devoted  to  a 
specialty  it  ought  to  be  well  done ;  and  it  will  be  a  pity 
if  with  so  much  improvement  in  other  ways  a  large  stock 
of  all  the  really  ornamental  hardy  flowers  is  not  formed. 
The  public  gardens  cannot  fail  to  have  a  great  influence  on 
all  visitors  to  Paris,  and  it  would  be  conferring  a  very  general 
benefit  if,  instead  of  depending  so  much  on  plants  requiring 
expensive  stoves  and  ceaseless  trouble  for  their  preservation, 
the  chief  gardeners  of  the  city  showed  what  may  be  done 
with  the  hardy  plants  belonging  to  our  own  and  similar 
climates.     At  present  their  collections  of  herbaceous  plants 


158      THE   PUBLIC   NURSERIES   FOR  TREES,   SHRUBS,   ETC. 

and  spring  flowers  consist  of  quantities  of  common  and  not 
always  fix^t-class  kinds.  They  have,  for  instance,  very  few 
Tritomas  in  the  Vincennes  Nursery,  and  none  at  all  in  the 
parks,  though  they  are  perhaps  the  most  useful  and  attrac- 
tive of  all  autumn  flowers.  It  is,  however,  only  fair  to  state 
that  the  nursery  stock  was  killed  in  the  winter  of  1867. 
But  when  groups  of  these  plants  are  established  in  the  parks 
or  gardens  there  should  be  little  difficulty  in  preserving 
them  by  placing  leaves  over  the  roots  in  winter. 

The  nursery  for  the  Pines  and  Rhododendrons  is  also  in 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  near  Auteml,  occupying  somewhere 
about  the  same  space  as  the  one  previously  described.  The 
climate  of  Paris  is  not  so  favourable  to  the  growth  of  coni- 
ferous trees  as  that  of  England,  and  consequently  to  the  Eng- 
lish visitor  the  Auteuil  garden  does  not  look  so  attractive  as 
that  at  Longchamps,  but  it  is  well  stocked,  and  serves  its  pur- 
pose admirably.  The  American  plants  are  mostly  grown  in 
the  slight  shade  afiPorded  by  thin  hedges  of  Arborvitse.  The 
ivy  used  for  making  the  edgings,  which  are  so  much  admired 
in  Paris  gardens,  and  for  every  other  purpose  for  which  the 
plant  is  employed,  is  grown  here.  Cuttings  are  first  put  in 
in  handfuls,  so  close  that  the  stems  touch  each  other.  After 
a  year  or  so  they  are  transferred  singly  into  four  or  six-inch 
pots,  and  plunged  below  the  rims  into  the  sandy  soil.  They 
are  used  for  forming  the  edgings  at  the  age  of  two  or  three 
years.  Galvanized  wire  is  extensively  used  here  for  the  pur- 
pose of  supporting  plants  that  are  usually  staked.  Stretched 
tightly  in  parallel  lines  at  about  the  height  the  line  of  plants 
requires  it  forms  a  neater,  handier,  and  cheaper  support  than 
ordinary  wooden  stakes,  which  are  so  liable  to  decay  and 
shake  about. 


159 


CHAPTER  IX. 

TKEES  FOR  CITY  PARKS^  AVENUES^  GARDENS^  STREETS^  ETC. 

It  is  a  very  popular  but  utterly  erroneous  notion  to  suppose 
that  "  trees  will  not  succeed  in  London/'  On  the  Continent 
people  are  accustomed  to  see  wide  open  streets  and  road- 
ways embellished  with  trees  that  are  properly  planted^  well 
cared  for  and  flourishing.  They  naturally  at  once  compare 
these  verdant  avenues  with  our  own  streets^  in  which  trees 
are  never  planted  at  all^  or  where^  if  they  are^  no  care  is  taken 
of  them^  and  at  once  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is 
''something  in  the  air/'  If  you  tell  them  that  trees 
may  be  grown  better  in  London  than  in  Paris  they 
will  stare  at  you  in  incredulous  amazement ;  but  such 
is  nevertheless  the  fact.  In  August  last  a  correspondent  of 
the  Pall  Mall  Gazette  wrote  several  letters  to  that  journal 
against  planting  trees  in  London^  the  following  extract  from 
which  affords  an  excellent  example  of  the  notions  almost 
universally  held  upon  this  subject. 

''  When  people  propose  to  decorate  London,  the  first  con- 
sideration should  be  what  will  suit  the  climate.  It  cannot 
be  too  often  repeated  that  our  city  atmosphere  is  fatally 
inimical  to  delicacy  of  architecture,  and  quite  equally  so  to 
delicacy  of  vegetation.  Our  skies  will  rain  soot  continually^ 
and  moisture  therewithal  to  make  the  soot  adhere ;  the  soot 
will  insinuate  itself  amidst  fairy  tracery  of  stone,  and  clog  the 
pores  of  beautiful  trees  and  shrubs  ;  and  it  is  an  utter  waste  of 
art  and  money  to  disregard  these  inevitable  conditions  of  the 
question.  It  is  very  childish  to  tickle  our  fancy  by  providing 
for  a  momentary  admiration  of  things  which  a  short  time  will 
make  hideous,  and  then,  when  the  inevitable  has  taken 
place,  contenting  ourselves  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders 
and  '  what  a  pity !'     Few  young  trees  will  really  flourish 


160  TREES   FOR  CITT  PARKS,  AVENUES, 

in  the  climate  of  our  modem  London ;  the  case  was  perhaps 
different  some  years  ago.  But  from  any  general  planting 
of  trees  in  London,  especially  in  leading  thoroughfares, 
however  wide,  I  cannot  expect  agreeable  results.  I  cannot 
dismiss  firom  my  mind  that  mournful  spectacle  I  have  so 
often  witnessed  with  depressed  spirits,  all  through  the  after- 
summer  (as  Germans  call  it)  and  the  autumn,  of  gloomy 
.  civic  avenues,  every  trunk  black  and  filthy,  with  all  its  fur- 
rows clogged  with  soot,  the  branches  showing  symptoms  of 
speedy  decay,  the  scanty  withered  foliage  distilling  a  drizzle 
of  mingled  smoke  and  moisture. — Misodendros.'^ 

These  opinions  are  as  erroneous  as  they  are  emphatic ; 
yet  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  similar  ones  are  enter- 
tained by  the  general  public,  when  we  find  those  who  ought 
to  know  equally  ignorant  on  the  subject.  Not  long  ago, 
I  was  walking  up  Regent  Street  with  a  landscape  gardener 
who  had  mostly  worked  in  pure  air,  and  he  almost  ridiculed 
my  statement  that  trees  could  be  grown  in  perfect  health 
and  beauty  in  London.  I  felt  it  was  useless  to  argue  with 
liim,butremembering  the  splendid  Planes  in  Berkeley  Square, 
a  few  minutes  enabled  me,  through  his  own  eyes,  to  cure 
him  for  ever  of  the  erroneous  opinion  that  trees  cannot  be 
grown  well  in  London.  It  is  the  custom  in  Paris  and 
other  continental  cities  to  plant  trees  with  care,  to  provide 
them  with  good  soil,  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  money  in  attend- 
ing to  them  and  watering  them,  and  yet  neither  in  all  Paris, 
nor  in  any  continental  city  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  can 
such  noble  examples  as  these  be  found. 

But  some  may  say,  An  open  square  at  the  West-end  of  town 
may  do  that  which  the  smoky,  densely-packed  city  will  not. 
If  these  persons,  who  are  evidently  not  yet  acquainted  with 
Stationers'  Hall  Court,  will  inquire  for  that  narrow  enclosure 
the  next  time  they  are  passing  near  Paternoster  Bow — or 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  to  select  a  more  conspicuous  land- 
mark— ^they  will  find  in  it  a  noble  Plane  tree  looking  as 
happy  as  if  it  were  in  its  native  forest.  It  grows  in  what 
to  a  tree  is  practically  a  brick  well,  and  yet  to  stand  under 
it  in  summer  and  look  up  the  bole  towards  the  top  of  the 
tree^  is  to  get  a  glimpse  of  tree-beauty  of  the  most  refreshing 


GARDENS,   STREETS,  ETC.  161 

kind.  I  could  point  out  to  friend  "  Misodendros  "  numerous 
places  in  the  heart  of  London  where  trees  flourish  in  the 
most  satisfactory  way.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  how- 
ever, that  everything  depends  upon  the  kind  of  tree  selected 
for  the  purpose  ;  for  even  our  best  landscape  gardeners  make 
a  sad  mistake  by  obstinately  persisting  in  planting  ever- 
greens, which  as  a  class  are  totally  unfit  for  town  cultiva- 
tion. Even  when  moderately  healthy  these  trees  are 
generally  so  coated  with  smut  that  they  entirely  lack  that 
polished  and  refreshing  verdure  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
evergreens  grown  in  fresh  and  pure  air. 

In  winter  the  atmosphere  of  London,  and  of  many  of  our 
great  cities  and  towns,  is  contaminated  by  certain  minute 
bodies  vulgarly  termed  "  blacks/^  They  belong  neither  to 
the  vegetable  nor  to  the  animal  kingdom,  but  they  exercise 
a  powerful  influence  on  the  former,  for  they  are  deadly 
enemies  to  all  breathing  surfaces ;  and  though  they  have  not 
caused  civil  war  and  bloodshed  like  their  human  name- 
sakes, yet  if  the  tale  of  death  were  carefully  summed, 
no  doubt  our  ^^  natives^'  would  head  the  fatal  list  by 
a  long  way.  How  then  fares  it  with  the  vegetation  sub- 
jected to  their  pernicious  influence  ?  Thousands  of  expiring 
and  leafless  shrubs  furnish  a  reply.  The  once  handsome 
and  healthy  Araucarias  planted  in  front  of  Tattersall's  at 
Knightsbridge,  and  now  draped  with  filth  and  soot;  the 
young  pines  and  evergreens  planted  annually  in  the 
Regent^s  Park  Botanic  Gardens,  only  to  dwindle  and  die  ;  the 
handsome  Hollies,  Yews,  and  other  shrubs  planted  in  the 
new  avenue  gardens  in  the  same  park ;  the  fine  and  costly 
evergreens  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Gardens  at  Ken- 
sington when  it  was  first  laid  out, — these  and  many  other 
cases  that  I  could  enumerate,  were  it  necessary,  answer  the 
question,  and  tell  the  same  tale  of  how  they  were  deprived  of 
life  by  the  vile  atmosphere. 

Not  so  with  the  deciduous  tree  or  shrub ;  nor  with  those 
beautiful  rosaceous  bushes  which  are  the  glory  of  the  grove 
in  all  temperate  climes.  After  summer's  ^^  fitful  fever  they 
sleep  well,^'  and  when  '^  people  return  to  town,^'  and  the 
flues  begin  to  vomit  forth  poison  and  smut,  they  cast  away 


162  TREES   FOR   CITY   PARKS,   AVENUES, 

the  leaves  that  have  done  their  work,  and  with  them  the 
filth  of  the  year ;  and,  so  to  speak,  retiring  within  themselves 
they  remain  till  the  winter  is  past,  safer  from  deadly  vapours 
than  the  Esquimaux  in  his  snow-hut  is  from  cold.  The 
consequence  is,  they  grow  nearly  as  well  in  London  as  in 
the  country.  When  the  fires  begin  to  go  out  in  spring, 
and  the  air  of  towns  becomes  more  fi-ee  from  evil  humours, 
they  burst  out  into  leaf  and  beauty — clouds  of  light,  fresh, 
budding  green.  What  sight  on  earth  can  surpass  the 
bursting  into  leaf  of  deciduous  trees  in  temperate  and 
northern  climes  ?  We  should  see  few  things  more  beautiful, 
nothing  more  magical,  even  if  it  were  possible  to  pass  high 
over  earth,  like  the  swallow  in  its  migration  from  the  wolfish 
north,  with  its  pines  and  weird  heaths,  to  the  south  with  its 
Vines  and  Oranges,  and  to  the  tropics  with  its  Palms  and 
giant  Bamboos.  No  charm  of  tropical  or  other  climes  sur- 
passes the  freshness  and  joy  of  an  English  spring.  Why 
then  should  we  not  take  advantage  of  the  fact,  and  make 
our  city  springs  more  English  still,  by  developing  chiefly 
those  plants  which  flourish  as  well  in  towns  as  out  of 
them,  instead  of  everlastingly  purchasing  evergreens  which 
are  doomed  to  perish  sooner  or  later?  I  have  repeatedly 
noticed  that  Peaches,  Almonds,  the  double  Cherries,  and 
the  numerous  exquisite  trees  and  shrubs  allied  to  them, 
flourish  and  attain  the  same  perfect  shape  in  towns  and 
cities  that  they  do  in  the  country,  while  beside  them  valu- 
able evergreens  are  but  the  ghosts  of  what  evergreens 
should  be. 

Supposing  for  a  moment  that  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs 
throve  as  well  within  city  influences  as  deciduous  ones  do, 
it  would  even  then  be  a  questionable  practice  to  use  them 
extensively,  because  they  do  not  gladden  us  with  that  floral 
beauty  which  deciduous  trees  are  wont  to  put  on ;  their 
verdure  in  the  parks  and  open  spaces  goes  for  little  in 
winter,  as  at  that  time  people  seldom  frequent  these  places. 
They  do  not  keep  time  with  our  suns  and  seasons ;  and  they 
are  not  so  beautiful,  because  not  so  changeful,  as  the  de- 
ciduous kinds.  They  do  not  flower  or  fruit  conspicuously, 
as  many  deciduous  plants  do,  and  they  tend  to  preserve  a 


GARDENS,  STREETS,  ETC. 


163 


disagreeable  moisture  round  us  ia  winter,  which  we  are  cer- 
tainly better  without. 

I  am  certain  that  if  the  expense  and  trouble  taken  to 
plant  evergreens  in  cities  were  devoted  to  the  best  of  our 
deciduous  trees  and  shrubs,  a  beauty  would  result  to  which 
towns  are  at  present  strangers.     Eveu  in  parks  and  places 


Fid. 


Sophnra  japoniea  Tar.  peniliilft.  One  of  Ihe  raaay  dpci Juoub  IrefB  uf  wliirh  the 
wintry  arpcct  in  pre'erable  Co  that  prcsetiteil  hy  ■muttj'  and  half-dead  "  ever- 
greena." 

where  one  would  be  led  to  expect  a  tolerable  display  of  fine 
floweriag  deciduous  trees,  the  slirubbery  vegetation  is  so  in- 
tolerably poor  and  monotonous — so  devoid  of  variety  and 
interest — that  it  is  not  surprising  that  town  planters  fall 
back  on  evergreens  and  plant  little  else  round  their  churches 
and  in  their  squares.  A  fine  double  Cherry,  pyramidal  in 
outline,  and  huug  with  snowy  bouquets,  seen  against  one  of 

M   2 


164   TREES  FOR  CITY  PARKS,  AVENUES,  GARDENS,  ETC. 

our  dark  churclies,  would  be  more  beautiful  than  all  the 
evergreens  within  four  miles  of  Charing  Cross,  and  yet  it  is 
only  one  out  of  a  host  of  flowering  trees  belonging  to 
temperate  or  northern  climes,  nearly  all  of  them  far  more 
presentable  objects  even  when  leafless  than  the  debilitated 
soot-varnished  "  evergreens''  which  we  now  select  for  town 
planting.  Even  the  Pear  and  Apple  and  the  Hawthorn 
families  would  furnish  a  grand  array  of  beauty  ;  but  any  one 
who  examines  the  list  of  our  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs, 
from  the  tall  Acacias  to  the  dwarf  early-opening  Daphnes, 
may  find  a  selection  which,  judiciously  arranged,  would 
create  a  greater  attraction  in  town  gardens  than  has  yet 
been  seen.  All  who  know  the  amount  of  beauty  to  be 
found  among  decidaous  trees  will  have  no  difiSculty  in 
imagining  how  attractive  our  parks  could  be  made  by  taste- 
fully grouping  and  cultivating  other  flowering  trees  of  equal 
or  nearly  equal  merit.  All  those  mentioned  above  thrive 
well  on  the  London  clay,  and  indeed  the  same  is  true  of  the 
majority  of  deciduous  shrubs.  It  would  be  a  great  benefit  to 
city  gardening  if  landscape  gardeners  were  to  be  cooped  up 
in  town  for  a  few  weeks  in  the  dead  of  winter,  instead  of 
being  permitted  to  run  about  the  pleasant  country :  they 
might  then  consider  our  wants  more  than  they  do.  Mean- 
time, I  strongly  advise  city  planters  to  pay  nearly  all  attention 
to  deciduous  vegetation,  promising  them  that  their  efibrts 
will  not  be  thrown  away,  as  they  too  often  are  at  present. 
They  would  then  find  that  planting  trees  is  not  a  "  sheer  waste 
of  art  and  money,''  but  one  of  the  most  praiseworthy  modes 
of  rendering  our  great  unwholesome  and  ugly  human  hives 
healthy,  habitable,  and  cheerful. 

Although  so  deficient  in  street  trees  proper,  one  of  the 
best  and  most  distinctive  features  of  the  suburbs  of  our 
English  cities  is  that  resulting  from  the  practice  of  placing 
little  gardens  between  the  house  and  the  road :  it  is  the 
absence  of  these  which  gives  such  a  hard,  uninviting,  and, 
to  an  English  eye,  hungry  look  to  the  uuplanted  streets  of 
many  towns  on  the  Continent.  Although  the  space  is  small, 
a  line  of  trees  is  usually  planted  immediately  inside  the 
wall,  which  line  sometimes  acts  as  a  screen,  but  is  generally 


A  SELECTION  OF  THE  BEST  TREES,  ETC.,  POR  CITIES.     165 

ineflPective  for  that  purpose.  Considering  the  space  at  our 
disposal,  and  the  fact  that  strong-growing  trees  prevent,  to 
a  great  extent,  smaller,  more  useful,  and  prettier  subjects 
from  being  grown  in  these  gardens,  the  right  method  to 
adopt  would  be  never  to  plant  anything  stronger  in  them 
than  dwarf  trees.  We  certainly  have  a  considerable  gain 
in  the  large  number  of  streets  and  suburban  roads,  where 
little  gardens  run  along  in  front  of  the  houses,  affording 
greater  breadth,  and  a  little  repose  between  the  house  and 
its  inmates  and  the  hard  and  dusty  street.  It  is  a  pity, 
however,  that  when  neighbourhoods  become  populous, 
crowded  shops  are  built  upon  these  gardens,  additional 
rooms  being  eventually  placed  over  them,  thus  narrowing 
instead  of  widening  the  street  at  the  very  time  when  more 
space  is  required  for  increased  traffic.  The  Marylebone-road 
is  an  example  of  this  kind. 

The  street  gardens  of  London,  and  our  other  large  cities, 
are  true  British  institutions  which  I  hope  will  never  become 
unpopular ;  but  go  on  increasing  in  favour.  The  follow- 
ing selection  of  city  trees  has  therefore  been  made  with  a 
view  to  their  improvement,  as  well  as  to  the  requirements 
of  street  or  boulevard  planting,  in  which  branch  continental 
cities  are  now  before  us. 

A  seleciion  of  the  best  trees  and  shrubs  for  cities. 

The  best  of  all  trees  for  European  cities  is  the  Western 
Plane  (Platanus  occidentalis).  I  have  seen  it  in  many 
places  in  towns,  from  the  heart  of  the  city  of  London  to 
the  shores  of  the  lakes  of  Northern  Italy;  in  the  town 
gardens  of  central  France,  in  the  fine  old  cities  in  La 
Belle  Touraine,  and  in  Anjou,  where  the  Camellia  and 
Azalea  grow  luxuriantly  in  the  open  air;  in  Brittany, 
where  the  glossy  evergreen  Magnolia  becomes  a  tree 
bearing  huge  waxen  flowers  as  big  as  plates ;  in  the  nume- 
rous  new  boulevards  of  Paris ;  and  everywhere  it  is  by  far 
the  noblest  city  tree ;  but  in  no  place  are  there  finer  indi- 
vidual specimens  of  it  than  in  London,  although  receiving 
no  such  attention  as  they  do  elsewhere. 


mmm^m^^ 


166  A   SELECTION    OF  THE   BEST   TREES 

Looking  for  a  moment  at  the  Plane  in  a  wild  and  culti- 
yated  state  in  the  pure  air,  we  find  it  second  to  none.  It 
possesses  the  hardiness  of  a  North  American  Indian,  and 
the  massive  and  noble  port  of  "  Daniel  Boon,  backwoods- 
man, of  Kentucky/'  Found  in  a  wild  state  over  a  vast 
portion  of  the  North  American  continent,  in  its  fullest  per- 
fection, along  the  great  rivers  which  fall  into  Chesapeake 
Bay,  and  in  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  West, — where  it  is 
constantly  found  to  be  the  loftiest  tree  of  the  United 
States,  it  becomes  one  of  the  noblest  trees  in  British 
parks  and  woods,  and  reminds  us  of  its  native  land  of  great 
trees,  rivers,  woods,  and  prairies.  Fairly  and  roundly  de- 
veloped specimens  have  in  summer  almost  the  grace  of  a 
weeping  tree.  In  winter  the  branches  retain  this  character, 
but  also  present  a  rugged  Gothic  picturesqueness,  which 
makes  them  highly  agreeable  to  look  upon,  while  the  pendulous 
seed-vessels  and  striking  column-like  bole  add  to  their  at- 
tractions in  the  wintry  season,  when  the  trees  are  at  rest 
and  safe  from  the  evil  efifects  of  smoke.  To  these  advan- 
tages may  be  added  the  one  that  large  specimens  may  be 
transplanted  with  safety — a  very  desirable  point  in  a  city 
tree.  I  could  point  to  many  parts  of  London  where  what 
is  here  stated  of  the  advantages  of  this  tree  could  be  seen 
in  a  moment — ^from  north-western  squares  near  smoky 
King's  Cross,  to  the  western  and  southern  parts  of  town, 
with  a  drier  soil  and  better  air,  and  even  to  the  very  heart 
of  the  city,  where  it  appears  to  do  as  well  as  anywhere  else. 

As  we  are  now  almost  commencing  street  and  city  garden- 
ing it  is  most  desirable  that  we  should  have  no  failures — that 
things  of  this  kind  should  be  done  so  as  to  satisfy  all.  Places 
like  the  Thames  Embankment  should  command  the  finest 
tree: 

"  We  needs  must  love  the  noblest  when  we  see  it/* 

says  Tennyson ;  and  amongst  town  trees  it  must  be  the  Plane. 
I  can  imagine  nothing  more  calculated  to  bring  town- garden- 
ing into  disrepute  than  such  a  specimen  of  planting  as  that  in 
the  Mall  in  St.  James's  Park.  Had  the  Plane  been  planted 
there  it  would  have  made  a  noble  avenue — ^the  Elm  now 
forms  a  miserable  one. 


.AND    SHRUBS    FOR  CITIES.  167 

Next  to  the  Plane,  the  Horse-chestnut  seems  to  offer  the 
greatest  advantages.  It  has  not  indeed  the  stature  and 
beauty  of  frame  of  the  Plane,  nor  does  it  attain  as  large  a 
size  and  as  perfect  health  in  cities,  but  it  possesses  great 
claims  from  its  fine  foliage,  large  sweet  silvery  spikes  of 
bloom,  and  proved  capacity  of  growing  well  as  a  town  tree, 
even  where  the  ground  is  hard  and  root-room  scarce.  If 
Paris  is  seen  to  greatest  advantage  when  her  groves  of 
this  tree  are  piled  up  with  little  pyramids  of  flowers, 
what  might  we  not  expect  from  the  fact  that  it  does  even 
better  with  us?  The  avenue  of  Horse-chestnuts  in  the  Regent's 
Park  is  a  case  in  point.  In  Paris  during  the  past  year  they 
lost  their  leaves  rather  early  and  became  too  rusty  to  be 
agreeable  to  the  eye ;  but  on  coming  to  London  at  the 
beginning  of  August  I  found  them  in  a  green  and  healthy 
state  after  one  of  the  most  trying  summers  we  have  ever 
had.  While  selecting  picturesque  trees  for  towns  that  are 
not  liable  to  suffer  from  disease  or  insect  pests,  we  must 
also  encourage  variety  as  much  as  possible.  The  Horse- 
chestnut  would  be  worth  growing  for  the  sake  of  its  foliage 
alone,  but  when  the  additional  charm  of  its  superb  in- 
florescence is  taken  into  account  there  can  be  no  hesita- 
tion in  placing  it  among  the  most  eligible  of  town  trees. 

The  common  Robinia  or  Locust  tree  has  been  so  long  and 
extensively  tried  that  we  need  have  no  more  doubt  about  it. 
It  will  never  justify  the  reputation  that  Cobbett  gave  it,  but 
I  know  of  no  tree  which  maintains  such  a  depth  of  sweet 
verdure  and  freshness  by  the  sides  of  the  dustiest  roads  and 
in  the  most  unlikely  places.  No  drought  seems  to  touch 
it  j  no  heat  renders  it  rusty -looking  or  fatigued.  Few  other 
trees  stood  the  heat  of  the  summer  of  1868  so  well,  and 
after  the  drought  was  ended  it  looked  as  if  it  had  just  passed 
through  a  showery  month  of  June.  It  is  worthy  of  being 
much  more  extensively  used  as  a  park  and  square  tree ;  it  is 
also  good  for  street  use,  not  growing  too  large,  and  is  the 
best  of  all  known  trees  for  planting  in  the  front  of  a  suburban 
house  or  villa,  or  in  any  position  where  a  pleasant  object  is 
required  to  refresh  the  eye  at  all  times.  Compared  to  the 
Lime  which  is  so  often  planted  before  London  houses,  it  is 
as  gold  to  pewter. 


168  A  SELECTTON   OF  THE   BEST   TREES. 

At  first  sight  there  seems  little  reason  why  the  somewhat 
despised  and  roughly  treated  Bobinia^  or  Acacia^  as  it  is 
sometimes  called^  should  come  in  after  such  stately  and 
noble  trees  as  the  Plane  and  the  Chestnut;  but^  taking  the 
varieties  as  well  as  the  original  tree  into  consideration^  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  giving  it  this  rank^  knowing  it  to  be 
as  well  adapted  for  the  smallest  town  garden  as  for  the 
largest  public  park.  Naturally  it  is  not  such  a  strong- 
growing  tree  as  the  Lime^  while  it  may  be  cut  in  to  keep  it 
neater  than  it  usually  grows. 

To  many  lines  of  suburban  houses  a  thin  line  of  trees  is 
a  great  improvement,  and  forms  the  only  species  of  garden 
etnbellishment  of  which  they  are  capable.  The  qualities 
necessary  in  such  trees  are  perfect  hardiness^  healthy  con- 
stitution^ and  size  and  habits  suited  to  the  positions  for  which 
we  require  them.  I  know  of  no  tree  that  combines  these 
better  than  the  spineless  round-headed  variety  of  the 
Bobinia  (B.  inermis),  and  it  is  a  very  elegant  object  all 
through  the  season.  It  is^  to  be  sure^  somewhat  dearer 
than  the  Lime  and  such  trees;  but  the  difierence  in 
appearance  is  such  that  nobody  would  refuse  the  difierence 
in  money,  even  for  the  improved  appearance  of  the  trees 
during  a  single  year.  It  is  usually  grafted  on  straight 
stems,  six  feet  to  eight  feet  high,  which  support  the 
umbrella-like  heads  and  their  mass  of  graceful,  healthy 
green  leaves.  With  a  little  cutting  in  now  and  then,  they 
never  become  an  inch  too  high. 

Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  and  appropriate  city  trees 
I  have  ever  seen  are  those  formed  by  the  round-headed 
Bobinia^  in  the  cities  of  Northern  Italy ;  their  grace,  dense 
and  grateful  shade,  and  deep  verdure  being  perfect.  I 
measured  several  thirty  feet  in  diameter  of  head,  and  with 
a  bole  a  foot  or  more  through,  the  heads  being  picturesque 
and  somewhat  irregular  from  age,  while  preserving  their 
compactness  and  valuable  shading  properties.  It  would  be 
impossible  to  find  a  greater  advance  upon  the  hideous  lines 
of  clipped  Limes  so  common  in  France  than  is  presented 
by  these  trees  at  Novara  and  other  cities  and  towns  in 
North  Italy.     But  as  we  have  no  proof  that  as  good  a 


AND    SHRUBS   FOR   CITIES.  169 

result  could  be  obtained  in  our  English  streets^  we  must  turn 
to  those  trees  that  we  have  already  tested  thoroughly. 

We  will  next  deal  with  the  lime,  its  bad  and  not  its  good 
qualities  placing  it  so  high  in  my  list;  for,  while  planted 
more  abundantly  than  any  other  city  tree,  it  is  by  far  the 
worst  that  I  am  acquainted  with,  and  the  extensive  use  of 
it  in  our  streets  is  the  most  blameworthy  of  bad  practices  in 
either  town  or  country  planting.  I  am  speaking  of  the 
aspect  of  the  tree  as  displayed  in  cities.  I  have  seen  the 
tall  lines  of  Lime  trees  in  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  at  Paris 
fall  into  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf  before  one  had  time  to 
admire  the  pleasing  soft  green  which  they  display  when  their 
leaf  blades  are  first  rolled  out ;  and  on  coming  back  to 
London,  at  the  end  of  July,  1868,  I  found  the  Limes 
the  most  miserable  and  mangy-looking  trees  anywhere  to 
be  seen.  And  all  this  in  the  midst  of  the  summer  when 
we  are  most  oppressed  with  heat !  The  withered,  burnt, 
insect-covered  leaves  rustle  lifeless  upon  the  trees,  hoarsely 
whispering  the  death  of  the  year  in  our  ears  before  we  have 
half  enjoyed  the  summer.  In  many  cases  they  have  perished 
prematurely  and  unnaturally,  and  have  even  lost  the  power 
to  fall  off  the  tree,  but  remain  rustling  on  the  branches, 
giving  the  ear  as  well  as  the  eye  a  foretaste  of  winter  three 
or  four  months  before  the  proper  time. 

Can  anything  be  more  unwise  than  to  persist  in  planting 
such  a  tree  as  largely  as  we  do  when  there  are  dozens  of  de- 
ciduous trees  that  will  do  all  that  a  Lime  does  at  the  best  of 
times,  and  that  present  no  such  objectionable  features  as  those 
alluded  to  at  that  season  when  a  tree  ought  to  be  full  of 
life  and  beauty  ?  Our  winter,  the  period  when  our  deciduous 
trees  must  be  devoid  of  leaves,  is  long  enough  without 
making  it  needlessly  so  by  lining  every  street  with  the 
Lime.  In  the  parks  this  tree  may  sometimes  be  planted, 
but  never  in  streets,  quays,  or  boulevards.  Apart  from  its 
presenting  a  diseased  appearance  for  more  than  half  the  time 
that  it  ought  to  be  full  of  green  life,  the  Lime  grows  much 
too  large  for  the  little  firont  gardens  where  it  is  so  abun- 
dantly employed,  and  will  soon  keep  away  from  the  house 
it  is  planted  to  adorn  a  large  portion  of  the  light  and  sun 


170  A  SELECTION   OF  THE   BEST  TREES 

that  we  grumble  so  much  at  being  deprived  of.  K,  in  order 
to  obviate  this,  we  cut  it  in  periodically,  it  becomes  an 
object  that  every  person  of  taste  should  abhor  and  cut  down 
as  soon  as  possible,  to  say  nothing  of  the  labour  and  ex- 
pense of  this  periodical  mutilation.  And  all  this  is  in  face 
of  the  fact  that  we  have  several  handsome  trees  that  do 
infinitely  better  and  without  clipping.  In  many  cases  in 
towns  it  would  be  better,  instead  of  planting  a  coarse  tree 
of  any  kind,  to  cover  the  railings  with  the  Irish  ivy,  as  the 
French  do ;  and  then,  no  light  being  intercepted,  it  would 
be  possible  to  have  something  worth  looking  at  in  the  little 
garden,  and  the  heavier  rushes  of  dust  would  be  kept  out 
by  the  dense  covering  of  ivy,  which  would  moreover  look 
green  at  all  seasons.  Dwarf  shrubs  more  suited  to  the  size 
of  the  place  and  plenty  of  flowers  might  then  be  grown  with 
success.  Every  Lime  tree  in  every  small  garden  in  London 
should  be  cut  down. 

The  Elm  is  a  tree  much  used  in  the  London  parks,  and 
sometimes  seen  of  fine  dimensions,  but  occasionally  it  is 
much  diseased  when  used  as  an  avenue  tree — ^for  example, 
in  the  Mall,  in  St.  James's  Park,  where  the  efiect  of  the 
avenue  planting  is  as  bad  as  it  can  be.  And  all  this  from 
not  having  selected  a  good  kind  of  tree  at  first ;  indeed  it 
is  so  bad  that  there  need  be  little  surprise  at  our  not  yet 
having  attempted  street-planting.  A  few  Plane  trees  near 
the  Buckingham  Palace  end  of  the  Mall  almost  save  it  from 
looking  absolutely  hideous  from  that  point  of  view.  The 
eflFect  of  the  Elms  in  Rotten  Row,  though  much  better,  is  not 
nearly  so  good  as  may  be  produced  in  like  positions  by  using 
other  trees.  The  variety  chosen  has  a  good  deal  to  do  with 
it — the  long  Boulevard  St.  Michel,  in  Paris,  planted  with 
the  large-leaved  Elm,  is  quite  a  success.  However,  looking 
to  the  gross  insect  enemy  of  the  Elm,  and  its  aspect  when 
planted,  as  we  plant  it  in  avenues,  it  is  not  a  desirable  tree  for 
this  purpose,  though  indispensable  for  grouping  in  the  parks. 

Paulownia  imperialis  is  a  very  noble  subject  for  town 
gardens,  especially  so  for  those  on  a  dry  soil  like  Paris,  and 
where  a  good  shading  medium  is  wanted.  It  might  well 
replace  several  of  the  miles  of  poor  clipped  Elms  and  Limes 


AND    SHRUBS   TOR   CITIES.  171 

about  Paris,  and  around  numbers  of  French  country  bouses. 
It  has  been  well  employed  in  Paris,  as  may  be  seen  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Boulevard  Bonne  Nouvelle.  During  the 
first  days  of  September,  1868 — days  as  hot  as  they  were  in 
July — I  examined  these  trees,  and  found  them  as  green  and 
as  fresh  as  could  be  desired,  when  Chestnuts,  Limes,  Elms, 
and  all  around  looked  as  if  they  had  passed  a  few  moments 
over  a  brisk  fire.  The  stems  of  the  trees  were  straight, 
and  just  about  the  right  elevation  for  a  shade-giving  tree, 
and  the  heads  spread  out  fiat,  so  as  to  give  complete  shade 
without  betraying  an  awkward  tendency  to  rise  too  high,  so 
as  to  require  clipping  to  prevent  them  from  keeping  the 
light  from  the  upper  windows.  The  large  leaves  were  quite 
fresh — a  sufficient  proof  after  such  a  season  as  the  past 
that  it  is  one  of  the  very  best  trees  for  city  planting.  The 
Paulownia,  the  Ailantus,  and  the  Plane  seem  to  preserve 
a  freshness  and  vigour  no  matter  how  great  the  heat  and 
abundant  the  dust.  The  forest  trees  of  our  own  latitudes  do 
not  do  this,  and  fall  into  the  sere  and  withered  leaf  while 
their  companions  from  Japan  and  America  are  in  the  greenest 
health.  It  is  not  easy  to  imagine  a  greater  improvement 
than  that  which  would  be  efibcted  by  planting  this  tree  where 
a  low  and  yet  good  shade  is  required.  It  is  also  worthy  of 
attention  as  a  town  garden  tree,  and  for  similar  reasons. 

Ailantus  glandulosa — sometimes  called  the  '^Tree  of 
Heaven,"  and  by  the  French  Vemis  du  Japon — is  a  town  tree 
of  great  excellence.  When  in  a  young  state  it  is  graceful 
from  its  long  pinnate  leaves — when  old  and  well-grown  it 
becomes  a  noble  forest  tree.  But  the  qualities  that  will 
above  all  others  recommend  it  to  the  town  planter  are  its 
perfect  health  and  freshness,  under  all  circumstances,  in 
towns.  Dust,  foul  air,  or  drought  seem  to  have  little  or  no 
eflFect  upon  it.  For  parks  and  avenues  it  is  indispensable, 
as  it  perfectly  retains  its  foliage  long  after  our  own  deci- 
duous trees  have  been  scorched  by  drought  and  dust.  It 
seems  to  do  equally  well  on  all  soils,  having  a  constitution 
and  a  leathery  texture  which  seem  perfectly  indifierent  to 
any  vicissitude  of  climate  witnessed  in  these  latitudes. 

Everywhere  in  cities  that  beautiful  and  distinct  tree,  the 


172  A  SELECTION    OF  THE   BEST   TREES 

Lombardy  poplar^  retains  its  glossy  health  and  yigour^ 
proving  its  claims  to  be  far  more  abundantly  used  than  at 
present.  Avenues  of  this  tree  would  tell  as  well  in  some 
positions  in  cities  as  single  specimens  and  groups  of  it  do  in 
the  landscape.  The  drip  of  trees  is  sometimes  objected  to  : 
this  erect  and  close  growing  kind  would  seem  to  offer  itself 
for  rather  narrow  streets  and  positions,  where  a  spreading 
habit  or  drip  might  be  an  inconvenience  at  any  time.  I 
do  not  recommend  its  use  on  an  extensive  scale ;  but  it  is 
so  handsome  and  distinct  in  outline,  stands  droughty  dust, 
and  bad  soU  so  admirably,  that  we  are  bound  to  recognise 
its  merits  far  more  than  at  present,  and  there  are  many 
positions  in  London  in  which  it  would  be  highly  appro- 
priate. Of  other  tapering  columnar  or  fastigiate  trees,  the 
pyramidal  variety  of  the  Oak  and  the  tapering  variety  of 
the  Robinia  do  particularly  well  in  the  parks ;  and  the  last 
is  deserving  of  recommendation  for  the  town  garden. 

Of  weeping  trees,  in  addition  to  the  long-proved  and  in- 
dispensable Weeping  WiUow — which  it  is  needless  to  recom- 
mend here,  as  most  people  will  have  noticed  its  bewitching 
outlines  in  some  of  our  parks — we  have  the  weeping  Birch, 
Ash,  Beech,  and  Elm,  in  all  cases  in  perfect  health  in  the 
parks.  There  is  one  tree  of  those  above-mentioned  which 
deserves  to  be  much  better  known — the  weeping  variety  of 
the  large-leaved  Elm  (Ulmus  montana  pendula).  This  is  a 
tree  of  much  beauty  and  character,  and  it  does  not  seem  in 
the  least  to  suffer  from  the  atmosphere  of  London.  It  is  a 
weeping  tree  of  the  first  order :  its  foliage  is  massive,  shade 
dense,  and  outline  most  picturesque  when  thickly  clothed  in 
summer — the  backbone,  so  to  speak,  of  each  widespreading 
branch  being  seen  just  glistening  above  the  dense  mass  of 
leaves,  in  consequence  of  none  of  the  branchlets  showing 
above  their  support.  They  are  all  of  the  true  drooping 
tendency.  It  is  a  hardier  and  better  constitutioned  tree 
than  the  Weeping  Willow,  and  never  grows  too  high  for  a 
London  or  any  other  town  garden ;  however,  it  spreads  too 
wide  for  those  of  the  smallest  pattern.  In  all  courtyards 
or  open  gravelled  spaces,  in  little  squares  wherever  a  shady 
tree  is  desired,  it  is  invaluable.     To  form  a  shady  bower 


AND   SHRUfiS    FOR   CITIES.  173 

there  is  nothing  to  surpass  it.  Should  anybody  doubt  this^ 
I  refer  him  to  the  specimen  of  this  tree  on  the  lawn  of  the 
Botanic  Oardens  in  the  Regent^s  Park.  I  have  also  seen  it 
in  perfect  health  in  small  squares  in  less  airy  parts  of 
London  than  that  just  named. 

A  very  charming  town  tree  is  the  weeping  variety  of 
Sophora  japonica  (S.  j.  pendula).  This  is  perfect  as  regards 
size^  not  spreading  so  wide  as  the  weepiug  Elm,  Ash^  or 
Willow,  yet  quite  as  graceful  as  any  of  them.  It  is  always 
densely  green,  no  matter  how  hot  the  season,  and  enjoys  a 
poor  sandy  soil,  and  the  dry  conditions  from  which,  from 
overdrainage  and  other  causes,  town  trees  are  liable  to  suffer. 
Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  this  and  all  weeping  trees  should 
only  be  used  where  they  are  not  likely  to  suffer  from  muti- 
lation of  any  kind,  and  where  their  character  and  grace  may 
be  seen  and  enjoyed. 

The  numerous  free-growing  trees  of  the  Rose  order,  from 
the  Chinese  Pear  and  the  Almonds  that  illuminate  our  groves 
with  masses  of  light  rosy  flowers  in  earliest  spring,  to  the 
dwarf  double  Prunus,  all  grow  healthfully  in  our  parks; 
and  though  unfit  for  street-planting,  are  worthy  of  the 
highest  attention  both  for  small  gardens  in  towns,  and  for 
squares,  public  gardens,  and  parks.  It  would  take  a  very 
long  list  to  enumerate  all  the  really  handsome  members  of 
this  family  now  almost  entirely  neglected  in  comparison  to 
their  merits.  They  alone  are  almost  capable  of  saving  us 
from  the  aspect  of  the  soot-covered  objects  courteously 
termed  evergreens  ;  and  in  spring,  when  all  the  world  bursts 
out  in  leaf,  they  are  almost  typical  of  London  seasons. 
From  sooty-brown  sticks  they  would  "  spread  out  their  little 
hands  into  the  ray,''  quickly  become  clouds  of  virgin  green, 
afterwards  great  bouquets  of  flowers,  white,  pink,  and 
rose,  would  give  shade  and  verdure  as  well  as  other  trees 
in  summer,  and  in  the  fulness  of  time  become  covered 
with  gay  fruits.  Let  us,  for  example,  look  at  the  Hawthorn 
family,  known  popularly  through  one  of  its  members,  the 
common  May,  the  admired  of  everybody.  In  the  Phoenix 
Park  in  Dublin  there  may  be  seen  many  thousand  quaint, 
gnarled,  indigenous  plants  of  it — old  fellows  that  must  have 


174  A  SELECTION   OF  THE  BEST   TREES 

first  sprung  from  their  tiny  stone  many  generations  ago. 
Daring  the  flowering  season  the  whole  park  (about  1760 
acres  in  extent)  is  perfumed  with  them,  and  nothing  can 
be  more  agreeable  than  a  stroll  there  of  a  May  afternoon. 

Of  course  the  Phoenix  Park  is  practically  in  the  country, 
but  the  group  near  the  museum  in  the  Botanic  Gardens  in 
the  Regent^s  Park  proves  that  the  hawthorn  family  will 
succeed  perfectly  on  what  is  by  far  the  worst  kind  of  soil, 
and  the  worst  enemy  with  which  the  London  gardener  has 
to  contend  —  the  deep  bed  of  clay  on  the  north  side  of 
the  city.  Generally  people  regard  the  Hawthorn  as  a  thing 
apart  from  all  others,  and  know  little  of  the  varied  beauty 
of  the  family ;  but  the  fact  is,  it  furnishes  a  greater  number 
of  hardy  ornamental  dwarf  trees  than  any  other  known  to 
us.  They  are  not  only  pretty  and  fragrant  in  flower,  but 
the  aspect  of  the  fruit  in  autumn — borne  in  showers  of 
bright  red,  yellow,  black,  and  scarlet — is  of  itself  a  recom- 
mendation which  should  entitle  them  to  general  cultivation, 
even  if  the  bloom  and  fragrance  were  of  that  obscure  type 
which  never  attracts  the  attention  of  any  but  a  botanist — 
a  type  too  common  among  our  popular  trees  and  shrubs. 

Of  the  common  Hawthorn  alone,  the  double  and  pink 
and  other  varieties  are  capable  of  a  rich  display  of  beauty  in 
spring ;  and  the  fruit,  too,  varies  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
Varieties  are  grown  with  black  fruit  (Crataegus  Oliveriana), 
yellow  fruit  (C.  aurea),  woolly  fruit  (C.  eriocarpa),  and  white 
fruit  (C.  leucocarpa).  C.  prsecox,  the  early  flowering,  is  the 
Glastonbury  thorn;  C.  punicea  flore  pleno,  the  double 
scarlet-flowered  ;  and  there  are  many  other  varieties  of  the 
common  haw.  In  fact,  the  plant  would  serve  as  well  as 
many  to  illustrate  the  variation  of  which  a  species  is  capable, 
if  such  were  wanted  by  a  Darwinian. 

If  a  single  species  displays  so  much  ornament  and 
diversity,  how  much  more  may  we  expect  from  its  numerous 
congeners,  all  of  which  are  hardy  ?  To  have  a  full  idea  of 
their  value  it  is  necessary  to  visit  places  where  a  collection 
is  grown  not  only  in  the  early  summer-flowering  season,  but 
also  in  the  autumn.  The  brilliancy  and  profusion  of  the 
fruit — some  of  them  many  times  larger  than  the  common 


AND    SHRUBS   FOR   CITIES.  175 

one^  some  of  an  agreeable  acid  flavour^  and  others  like 
miniature  apples,  both  in  shape  and  taste — are  quite  re- 
freshing amidst  evergreens  and  common  trees  which  never 
produce  a  noticeable  fruit  or  flower.  Some  are  as  large  as 
marbles,  others  more  piriform  in  shape,  but  large  and 
eatable ;  such  indeed  as  I  should  be  very  glad  of  if  I  were 
cast  ashore  on  some  desolate  isle,  like  old  Byron,  and  such 
as  would  have  been  a  godsend  to  poor  Burke  and  Wills  and 
their  party,  who  lived  upon  the  tiny  and  miserable  Nardoo 
fruit.  Where  the  feeding  and  attracting  of  the  feathered 
tribes  is  a  consideration,  there  is  nothing  to  equal  these 
exotic  thorns.  Among  the  best  kinds  are  the  following  : — 
C.  coccinea,  and  its  varieties,  corallina  and  maxima ;  C. 
nigra ;  C.  crus-galli,  and  its  varieties,  splendens,  pyracanthi- 
folia,  and  salicifolia;  C.  punctata,  and  its  varieties;  C.  ma- 
crantha ;  C.  Azarolus  ;  C.  obtusata,  a  variety  of  the  common 
species  which  grows  seventy  feet  high ;  C.  Douglasi,  a  purple- 
berried  North  American  kind,  named  after  the  famous  and 
unfortunate  plant-collector  Douglas,  who  sent  us  home  the 
noble  Douglas  fir  and  a  host  of  valuable  American  plants ; 
C.  Orien  talis,  C.  Leeana,  C.  Aronia,  berries  yellow ;  and  C. 
tanacetifolia,  a  native  of  Greece,  and  its  German  variety 
glabra;  but  almost  all  the  species  are  worth  growing.  The 
well-known  evergreen  species,  C.  pyracantha,  so  extensively 
used  for  training  against  houses  and  walls,  will  not  do  for 
association  with  these ;  but  it  is  of  course  valuable  for  the 
embellishment  of  the  walls  of  the  town  garden. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  above  species  flowering  at 
various  times,  and  some  of  them  a  good  deal  later  than  the 
May  and  its  numerous  varieties,  prolong  the  bloom  of  the 
family  for  a  considerable  period.  They  are  more  suited  for 
grouping  in  the  irregular  and  diversified  parts  of  parks  and 
public  gardens  than  anything  else,  and  may  also  be  used 
with  good  eflect  in  squares ;  avoiding,  however,  the  very 
common  error  of  putting  all  our  native  and  hardy  shrubs 
roughly  in  under  the  shade  of  big  trees,  &c.  Numerous 
subjects  are  never  seen  to  present  their  native  charms  in 
consequence  of  being  overcrowded,  or  overshadowed,  or 
robbed    at  the  root  by    heavy-feeding  neighbours.      If   a 


176  A  SBLECnON   OF  THE   BEST  TREES 

tUng  be  worth  jdantiiig  at  all  it  is  worth  planting  well ; 
and  the  rule  in  our  squares,  and  too  often  in  our  parks  and 
gardens,  is  excessive  crowding  and  little  or  no  attempt  at 
the  fair  and  full  development  of  individual  plants,  be  they 
costly  exotics  or  merely  ''common'^  wild  Roses  or  Hawthorns. 

Of  tribes  that  may  be  associated  with  the  Hawthorns  there 
are  the  Cotoneasters — ^the  freely  flowering  and  fruiting  deci- 
duous species ;  the  Almonds  and  Peaches,  double  and  single ; 
the  various  double  Cherries  and  Plums ;  Amelanchiers 
(Snowy  Mespilus) ;  the  Bird  Cherry  and  the  Weeping 
Cherry;  the  Judas  tree;  the  Quinces  and  Medlars  (par- 
ticularly Mespilus  Smithii) ;  the  varieties  of  the  Scotch  and 
common  Laburnums :  the  Daphnes,  the  Deutzias,  the  various 
kinds  of  Lilac,  and  nimierous  other  rather  dwarf  shrubs  for 
the  embellishment  of  the  margins  of  groups,  &c. ;  the  various 
kinds  of  Pyrus  from  the  great  P.  vestita  to  the  handsome 
Chinese  Pear  and  Japan  Quince ;  the  Rose  Acacia ;  not  to 
mention  many  other  useful  species. 

The  common  Stag's  Horn  Sumach  succeeds  so  well  in 
the  small  town  garden  that  it  deserves  a  word  of  praise. 
It  does  not  grow  so  gross  as  to  require  clipping,  and  retains 
its  verdure  without  taint  long  after  that  miserable  town 
tree  the  Lime  has  parted  with  it ;  but  it  is  apt  to  produce 
suckers  too  abundantly.  Amongst  deciduous  flowering 
shrubs,  the  Althea  would  seem  to  be  the  king.  With 
attention  it  should  form  a  telling  object  in  all  parts  where 
the  bottom  is  dry.  By  '^  attention,''  I  mean  planting  it  so 
as  to  develope  it  into  a  specimen,  and  not  thrusting  it 
promiscuously  amongst  rough  and  mixed  shrubs,  which 
may  obscure  it  from  the  sun  or  unduly  rob  it  at  the 
root. 

Liriodendron  tulipifera,  the  Tulip  tree,  seems  perfectly 
at  home  in  city  parks  or  gardens,  and  being  a  handsome 
and  distinct  tree  in  every  way  deserves  to  be  planted  largely 
in  such  places.  Sophora  japonica  forms  a  grand  tree  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  London,  and  has  the  valuable  property 
of  never  seeming  to  suflFer  from  drought,  no  matter  how 
dry  the  soil,  but  retains  its  verdure  to  the  end  of  the  season. 
It  therefore  merits  an  important  place'in  all  our  parks  and 


AND    SHRUBS   FOR   CITIES,  177 

squares^  especially  those  with  a  dry  gravelly,  sandy,  or  light 
bottom. 

Among  various  trees  thoughtlessly  recommended  for 
London  planting  in  the  journals  of  the  past  year  was  the 
Copper  Beech.  I  trust  nobody  will  ever  use  that  as  a  town 
tree;  not  at  least  until  we  have  too  much  green  in  our 
cities,  instead  of  square  miles  of  dull  brick  without  a 
verdant  spot,  as  at  present.  When  we  become  suflBciently 
Gallicized  to  establish  a  Morgue,  a  few  dark  and  gloomy- 
looking  Copper  Beeches  might  appropriately  adorn  its 
neighbourhood.  Nobody  can  object  to  grouping  this 
tree  here  and  there  in  the  parks,  or  to  the  use  of  the 
Copper  Beech  in  an  isolated  manner  among  other  trees, 
but  to  talk  of  planting  avenues  of  these  trees  is  harrowing. 
There  seems  a  sort  of  purgatorial  ingenuity  about  this 
recommendation.  We  are  coppery  enough  in  all  conscience ; 
and  though  a  line  of  rusted  Limes  relieved  by  Coppery 
Beeches  might  suit  a  nation  of  very  strict  ritualistic  tenden- 
cies, anxious  to  find  even  an  additional  pang  among  their 
trees — surely  the  most  noble,  stately,  and  useful  objects  that 
nature  has  given  for  the  embellishment  of  the  earth — I  trust 
such  a  peace-destroying  combination  will  never  be  seen  in 
my  time.  I  would  punish  the  writer  of  it  by  shutting 
him  up  in  a  London  house  of  a  hot  August  day,  and  let 
Copper  Beeches  and  hideous  Limes  be  the  only  things  on 
which  he  could  refresh  his  eyes — a  dreadful  punishment  for 
anybody  with  a  nervous  system  and  a  slight  knowledge  of 
trees. 

Evergreens,  as  has  been  frequently  pointed  out,  are 
as  a  class  better  avoided;  and  yet  there  are  for  city 
gardens  some  kinds  wliich  seem  to  flourish  disregarding 
smoke.  Of  these  the  Japan  Privet  (Ligustrum  japonicum) 
is  worthy  of  a  front  place.  The  beauty  and  utility  of  the 
Japan  Privet  is  insufficiently  known  to  the  town^gardener, 
though  it  is  extensively  planted  by  the  judicious  landscape 
gardener  and  planter.  Large  in  leaf  almost  as  a  goodly 
Orange,  producing  flowers  almost  as  large  as  the  white 
lilac,  and  very  sweet,  it  possesses  first-class  attractions  as  an 
ornamental  shrub ;  *but  it  is  to  its  value  as  a  London  plant 

N 


178  A  SELECTION    OF   THE   BEST   TREES 

that  I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  town-gardening  por- 
tion of  my  readers.  We  all  know  how  difBcnlt  it  is  to 
get  any  sort  of  an  evergreen  to  grow  well  in  towns ;  those 
with  the  best  character  for  good  behaviour  within  the  vile 
influences  of  smoke  are  too  apt  to  become  hopelessly  deci- 
duous. The  Japan  Privet  may  be  tried  with  safety  in  a 
back  garden^  far  into  what  Cobbett  called  the  great 
"  wen.''  Having  the  advantage  of  flowering  so  sweetly  and 
freely  in  addition  to  being  a  shrub  with  comely  leaves 
and  good  habit^  I  am  sure  those  who  so  plant  it  will 
not  be  disappointed.  The  remaining  kinds  are  mostly 
those  that  are  well  known  and  frequently  used — the  Aucuba, 
Holly,  in  great  variety,  Box,  and  Rhododendrons,  Ivies, 
Berberises,  particularly  Darwini,  and  the  common  Laurel 
— often  cut  ofi*,  however,  and  not  so  good  or  hardy  as  the 
Aucuba  j  the  Caucasian  Laurel,  better  and  hardier  than  the 
common  kind,  Euonymus  japonicus,  Mahonias,  and  several 
kinds  of  Yuccas. 

All  these  are  known  to  do  very  fairly  if  properly  planted 
in  pretty  good  positions.  Considering  how  excellently  the 
common  Aucuba  grows  in  our  towns,  we  may  look  forward 
with  much  hope  to  what  may  be  done  with  the  numerous 
new  and  fine  kinds  as  soon  as  they  are  common  enough  to 
be  tried  extensively  in  city  gardening.  But  the  town- 
planter  cannot  be  too  often  cautioned  against  the  over  use 
of  evergreens — there  is  scarcely  a  suburb  in  which  thousands 
of  pounds  worth  of  them  are  not  to  be  at  any  time  seen 
in  a  dying  state  1  Even  the  kinds  above  enumerated  are 
often  seen  to  languish  and  die  after  a  year  or  two  in  a 
west  central  garden,  like  Mecklenburg-square,  where  the 
deciduous  trees  are  fine  enough  to  freshen  the  heart  of  a 
North  American  Indian  should  he  happen  to  pass  by. 

Anxious  to  promote  as  far  as  possible  permanent  and  noble 
rather  than  fleeting  and  mean  styles  of  park  decoration,  I  ven- 
ture to  add  the  names  of  some  fine  distinct  trees  that  deserve 
to  be  more  widely  planted  in  our  city  parks  and  gardens,  if 
only  to  vary  the  monotony  caused  by  the  profuse  planting 
of  well  known  kinds.  The  Oaks  ofi*er  an  example  of  the 
arboreal  riches  within  the  reach  of  planters,  and  the  Ame- 


AND   SHRUBS   FOB   CITIES.  179 

lican  Oaks  especially  cannot  be  overpraised.  Of  course 
they  are  not  recommended  here  for  street  or  boulevard 
plantings  but  for  parks  and  open  spaces  where  the  dust 
is  a  little  subdued  and  where  they  may  have  plenty  of 
root-room. 

The  following  species  of  Oak  are  well  worthy  of  atten* 
tion  in  our  parks : — Quercus  ambigua — fine  foliage  ;  the  best 
of  all  the  American  oaks  for  quick  growth.  Q.  Prinus — 
chestnut  oak.  Q.  rubra — champion  oak.  Q.  coccinea — 
scarlet  oak.  Q.  falcata — downy  oak.  Q.  tinctoria — ^black 
oak.  Q.  palustris — pine  oak.  Q.  nigra — ^black  jack  oak. 
Q.  Catesbaei — scrub  oak.  Q.  Phellos — willow  oak.  Q.  im- 
bricata — shingle  oak,  very  distinct.  Q.  iEsculus — Italian  oak. 

The  Maples  also  comprise  some  very  noble  trees : — ^Acer 
macrophylla  —  the  great  Columbian  maple.  A.  lobatum 
— Siberian  maple.  A.  Lobelii — this  kind  grows  erect,  like 
the  Lombardy  poplar,  and  has  violet  shoots  and  striped 
bark.  A.  eriocarpum — Sir  Charles  Wager's  maple,  a  fine 
silvery  appearance.  A.  neapolitanum — ^Neapolitan  maple, 
fine  large  foliage.  A.  obtusatum — Hungarian  maple,  very 
distinct  from  the  Neapolitan  maple,  with  which  it  is 
frequently  confounded.  A.  colchicum  rubrum — ^this  kind 
has  bright  red  twigs  in  winter,  and  is  distinct  and  good. 
A.  platanoides — ^Norway  maple,  very  showy  when  in  flower 
in  the  spring.  A.  Pseudo-Platanus  purpurea — ^purple-leaved 
sycamore.     Negundo  fraxinifolia  variegata — very  showy. 

Of  other  valuable  subjects  not  running  in  such  closely 
allied  groups,  the  following  will  be  found  worthy  of  extensive 
use : — Catalpa  syringaefolia,  makes  an  ornamental  tree  near 
London.  Laurus  sassafras,  Nyssa  biflora  and  villosa — ^the 
autumn  tints  of  these  are  fine ;  they  are  natives  of  North 
America.  Ulmus  stricta,  the  Cornish  elm ;  Ulmus  vimi- 
nalis,  distinct  habit ;  Ulmus  vegcta,  Chichester  elm  ;  Ulmus 
nigra,  Irish  elm,  a  large  timber  tree  of  rapid  growth ;  Ulmus 
montana  major,  smooth  elm ;  and  Ulmus  americana,  a  very 
distinct  tree,  of  large  size.  Planera  Bichardi,  a  fine  tree, 
with  a  peculiarly  distinct  and  striking  mode  of  branching. 
Celtis  occidentalis,  the  nettle  tree.  Juglans  nigra,  black 
walnut^  fine  foliage.     Carya  amara,  C.  alba,  and  sulcata^ 

n2 


180  A   SELECTION   OE   THE   BEST  TREES 

fine  foliage,  ^sculus  Hippoeastanum  flore-pleno  —  the 
flower  lasts  three  times  as  long  in  perfection  as  that  of 
the  single  horse-chestnut.  M,  rubicunda  —  the  scarlet 
flowered.  Tilia  alba,  or  argentea — the  Hungarian  lime 
tree,  the  best.  T.  americana — Mississippi  lime,  very  large 
leaves.  Pavia  rubra — native  of  the  mountains  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Carolina,  rather  a  small  but  ornamental  tree. 
p.  flava — this  is  a  native  of  the  same  country,  but  attains  a 
larger  growth  than  the  former  species.  P.  indica — ^very 
distinct  in  foliage.  P.  califomica — fragrant  flowers  in  long 
spikes,  a  very  handsome  tree.  Liriodendron  tulipifera — 
the  tulip-tree,  and  its  variety  obtusatimi,  the  entire  leaved 
form.  Sophora  japonica  pendula — a  highly  ornamental 
weeping  tree.  It  is  somewhat  tender  in  the  north,  but 
flourishes  finely  about  London,  and  on  dry  soils  generally. 
It  can  stand  any  amount  of  drought,  and  is  therefore 
particularly  well  adapted  for  dry  soils.  When  it  flowers 
it  is  very  ornamental.  Virgilia  lutea — a  native  of  North 
America,  has  white  pendulous  racemes  of  flower,  a  little 
larger  than  those  of  the  locust  tree.  It  is  very  striking 
when  in  flower,  and  does  best  on  a  dryish  soil.  Robinia 
viscosa — a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  comes 
in  flower  later  than  the  common  locust  tree,  and  bears  pink 
blossoms.  Gleditschia  sinensis  (horrida)  and  ferox  are  very 
singular,  from  having  their  stems  embellished  with  large  and 
fierce  spines.  Gymnocladus  canadensis,  the  Kentucky  cofiee 
tree,  is  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  its  foliage  during 
summer.  Of  the  Cratseguses — Aronia,  with  large  yellow 
fruit;  Layi,  with  large  red  fruit  used  for  preserving  in 
China ;  Celscana  (Leeana  of  the  nurseries),  pale  red  fruit ; 
and  Douglasi,  black  fruited,  are  among  the  most  distinct. 

Pyrus  vestita  is  a  large  silvery  species  beautiful  even 
among  the  many  good  things  in  its  family.  Omus  europaea, 
the  flowering  ash ;  Fraxinus  lentiscifolia,  Calabrian  manna 
ash ;  Fraxinus  americana,  the  broad-leaved  American  ash ; 
F.  pubescens,  black  American  ash ;  F.  epiptera  (or  lancea), 
the  Canadian  ash  or  lancewood.  Platanus  orientalis 
pyramidalis — fine  variety.  P.  acerifolia — Spanish  plane. 
P.  umbellata — a  fine  variety,     Liquidambar    styraciflua — 


AND    SHRUBS    FOR   CITIES.  181 

fine  tint  in  autumn.  Salisburia  adiantifolia — var.  macro- 
phylla.  Populus  acerifolia^  or  nivea  —  the  silver-leaved 
poplar,  very  fine.  P.  angulata — Carolina  poplar,  leaves 
large,  and  sub-evergreen.  Alnus  ineana  laciniata — cut- 
leaved  alder.  A.  cordata — fine  large  glossy  leaves,  very 
distinct  from  all  the  other  kinds;  sub-evergreen.  Betula 
angulata,  or  nigra — the  black  birch.  Elaeguus  argenteus, 
deciduous  Magnolias,  and  Pterocarya  caucasica  —  fine 
foliage  and  distinct  tree. 


182 


CHAPTER  X. 

SUBTBOPICAL    PLANTS    FOR    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  term  subtropical  is  popularly  given  to  flower- 
gardens  embellished  by  plants  having  large  and  hand- 
some leaves^  noble  habit  or  graceful  outlines.  It  simply 
means  the  introduction  of  a  rich  and  varied  vegeta- 
tion,  chiefly  distinguished  by  beauty  of  form,  to  the 
ordinarily  flat  and  monotonous  surface  of  the  garden. 
The  system  had  its  origin  in  Paris,  where  it  was  first 
carried  out  on  a  small  scale  around  the  old  Tour  St.  Jacques, 
and  is  now  adopted  to  a  greater  extent  there  than  anywhere 
else.  Indeed,  the  presence  of  great  nimibers  of  fine-leaved 
plants  is  one  of  the  most  marked  features  in  the  parks  and 
public  gardens  of  that  city.  Mr.  Gibson,  the  able  and 
energetic  superintendent  of  Battersea  Park,  imdaunted  by 
the  popular  nonsense  about  the  great  superiority  of  the 
climate  of  Paris  over  that  of  London,  boldly  tried  the 
system,  and  with  what  a  result  all  know  who  have  seen  his 
charming  '^  subtropical  garden  "  in  Battersea  Park. 

This  system  has  taught  us  the  value  of  grace  and  ver- 
dure amid  masses  of  low,  brilliant,  and  imrelieved  flowers, 
or  rather  has  reminded  us  of  how  far  we  have  diverged 
from  Nature^s  ways  of  displaying  the  beauty  of  vegetation. 
Previous  to  the  inauguration  of  this  movement  in  Eng- 
land,  our  love  for  rude  colour  had  led  us  to  ignore  the  ex- 
quisite and  inexhaustible  way  in  which  plants  are  naturally 
arranged — fern,  flower,  grass,  shrub,  and  tree,  sheltering, 
supporting,  and  relieving  each  other.  We  cannot  attempt 
to  reproduce  this  literally,  nor  would  it  be  wise  or  con- 
venient to  do  so ;  but  assuredly  herein  will  be  found  the 
source  of  true  beauty  in  the  plant  world,  and  the  more  the 
ornamental  gardener  keeps  the  fact  before  his  eyes,  the 


SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.       183 

tiearer  truth  and  success  will  be  attained.  Nature  in  puris 
naluralibus  we  cannot  have  in  our  gardens^  but  Nature's 
laws  should  not  be  violated^  and  few  human  beings  have 
contravened  them  more  than  our  flower  gardeners  during 
the  past  twenty  years.  We  must  compose  from  Nature,  as 
the  best  landscape  artists  do,  not  imitate  her  basely.  We 
may  have  all  the  shade,  the  relief,  the  grace,  and  the  beauty, 
and  nearly  all  the  irregularity  of  Nature  seen  in  every 
blade  of  grass,  in  every  sea-wave,  and  in  every  human 
countenance,  and  which  may  be  found  too,  in  some  way, 
in  every  garden  that  affords  us  lasting  pleasure  either  from 
its  contents  or  design.  Subtropical  gardening  has  taught 
us  that  one  of  the  greatest  mistakes  ever  made  in  the 
flower  garden  was  the  adoption  of  a  few  varieties  of  plants 
for  culture  on  a  vast  scale,  to  the  exclusion  of  interest  and 
variety,  and  too  often  of  beauty  or  taste.  We  have  seen 
how  well  the  pointed,  tapering  leaves  of  the  Cannas  carry 
the  eye  upwards;  how  refreshing  it  is  to  cool  the  eyes 
in  the  deep  green  of  those  thoroughly  tropical  Castor- 
oil  plants  with  their  gigantic  leaves ;  how  grand  the  Wi- 
gandia,  with  its  wrought-iron  texture  and  massive  outline, 
looks  after  we  have  surveyed  brilliant  hues  and  riclily  painted 
leaves ;  how  greatly  the  sweeping  palm -leaves  beautify  the 
British  flower  garden; — and,  in  a  word,  the  system  has 
shown  us  the  difference  between  gardening  that  interests 
and  delights  all  the  public,  as  well  as  the  mere  horticul- 
turist, and  that  which  is  too  often  offensive  to  the  eye  of 
taste,  and  pernicious  to  every  true  interest  of  what  Bacon 
calls  the  "  Purest  of  Humane  pleasures.'' 

But  are  we  to  adopt  this  system  in  its  purity  ?  Cer- 
tainly not.  All  practical  men  see  that  to  accommodate  it 
to  private  gardens  an  expense  and  a  revolution  of  appliances 
would  be  necessary,  which  are  in  nearly  all  cases  quite  im- 
possible, and  if  possible,  hardly  desirable.  We  can,  how- 
ever, introduce  to  our  gardens  most  of  its  better  features ; 
we  can  vary  their  contents,  and  render  them  more  inte- 
restmg  by  a  cheaper  and  a  nobler  system.  The  use  of  all 
plants  without  any  particular  and  striking  habit  or  foliage, 
or  other  distinct  peculiarity,  merely  because  they  are  "  sub- 


184      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN- 

tropical/'  should  be  tabooed  at  once^  as  tending  to  make 
much  work,  and  to  return — a  lot  of  weeds ;  for  ''  weedi- 
ness  *'  is  all  that  I  can  write  of  many  Solanums  and  stove 
plants  of  no  real  merit  which  have  been  employed  under 
this  name.  Selection  of  the  most  beautiful  and  usefiil 
from  the  great  mass  of  plants  known  to  science  is  one 
of  the  most  important  of  the  horticulturist's  duties,  and 
in  no  branch  must  he  exercise  it  more  thoroughly  than 
in  this.  Some  plants  used  in  it  are  indispensable — the 
different  kinds  of  Ricinus,  Cannas  in  great  variety,  Polym- 
nia,  Colocasia,  Uhdea,  Wigandia,  Ferdinanda,  Palms,  Yuccas, 
Dracsenas,  and  fine-leaved  plants  of  coriaceous  texture 
generally.  A  few  specimens  of  these  may  be  accommo- 
dated in  many  large  gardens ;  they  will  embellish  the  houses 
in  winter,  and,  transferred  to  the  open  garden  in  summer, 
will  lend  interest  to  it  when  we  are  tired  of  the  houses. 
Some  Palms,  like  Seaforthia,  may  be  used  with  the  best 
effect  for  the  winter  decoration  of  the  conservatory,  and  be 
placed  out  with  an  equal  result,  and  without  danger  in 
summer.  The  many  fine  kinds  of  Dracaenas,  Yuccas, 
Agaves,  fee,  which  have  been  seen  to  some  perfection  at 
our  shows  of  late,  are  eminently  adapted  for  standing  out 
in  summer,  and  are  in  fact  benefited  by  it.  Among  the 
noblest  ornaments  of  a  good  conservatory  are  the  Norfolk 
Island  and  other  tender  Araucarias — these  may  be  placed 
out  for  the  summer  much  to  their  advantage,  because  the 
rains  will  thoroughly  clean  and  freshen  them  for  winter 
storing.  So  with  some  Cycads  and  other  plants  of  distinct 
habit — ^the  very  things  best  fitted  to  add  to  the  attrac- 
tions of  the  flower  garden.  Thus  we  may  enjoy  all  the 
benefits  of  what  is  called  subtropical  gardening  without 
creating  any  special  arrangements  for  them  in  all  but  the 
smallest  gardens. 

But  what  of  those  who  have  no  conservatory,  no  hothouses, 
no  means  for  preserving  large  tender  plants  in  winter  ?  They 
too  may  enjoy  in  effect  the  beauty  which  may  have  charmed 
them  in  a  subtropical  garden.  I  have  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  in  many  places  as  good  an  effect  as  any  yet  seen 
in  an  English  garden  from  tender  plants,  may  be  obtained  by 


SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FIX)WER  GARDEN.       185 

• 

planting  hardy  ones  only !  There  is  the  Pampas  Grass — ^which 
when  well  grown  is  unsurpassed  by  anything  that  requires 
protection.  Let  us  in  planting  it  take  the  trouble  to  plant  and 
place  it  very  well — and  we  can  afford  to  do  that,  since  one 
good  planting  is  all  that  it  requires  of  us,  while  tender 
things  of  one-tenth  the  value  may  demand  daily  attention. 
There  are  the  hardy  Yuccas,  noble  and  graceful  in  outline, 
and  thoroughly  hardy,  and  which,  if  planted  well,  are  not  to 
be  surpassed,  if  equalled,  by  anything  of  like  habit  we  can 
preserve  indoors.  There  are  the  Arundos,  conspicua  and 
Donax,  things  that  well  repay  for  liberal  planting ;  and  there 
are  fine  hardy  herbaceous  plants  like  Crambe  cordifolia, 
Bheum  Emodi,  Ferulas,  and  various  fine  umbelliferous  plants 
that  will  furnish  effects  equal  to  those  we  can  produce  by 
using  the  tenderest.  The  Acanthuses  too,  when  well  grown, 
are  very  suitable  to  this  style ;  one  called  latifolius,  which 
is  beginning  to  get  known,  being  of  a  peculiarly  firm,  po- 
lished, and  noble  leafage.  Then  we  have  a  hardy  Palm — 
very  much  hardier  too  than  it  is  supposed  to  be,  because  it 
has  preserved  its  health  and  greenness  in  sheltered  positions, 
where  its  leaves  could  not  be  torn  to  shreds  by  storms 
through  all  our  recent  hard  winters,  including  that  of  1860. 

And  when  we  have  obtained  these  we  may  associate  them 
with  not  a  few  things  of  much  beauty  among  trees  and 
shrubs — with  elegant  tapering  young  pines,  many  of  which, 
like  Cupressus  nutkaensis,  have  branchlets  finely  chiselled 
as  a  Selaginella ;  not  of  necessity  bringing  the  larger  things 
into  close  or  awkward  association  with  the  humbler  and 
dwarfer  flowers,  but  suflSciently  so  to  carry  the  eye  from  the 
minute  and  pretty  to  the  higher  and  more  dignified  forms  of 
vegetation.  By  a  judicious  selection  from  the  vast  mass  of 
hardy  plants  now  obtainable  in  this  country,  and  by  asso- 
ciating with  them  where  it  is  convenient,  house  plants  that  are 
stood  out  for  the  summer,  we  may  arrange  and  enjoy  charms 
in  the  flower  garden  to  which  we  are  as  yet  strangers,  simply 
because  we  have  not  suflSciently  selected  from  and  utilized 
the  vast  amount  of  vegetable  beauty  at  our  disposal. 

Let  us  next  select  the  finer  tender  plants  for  this  pur- 
pose, speak  of  the  treatment  they  require,  and  the  uses  or 


186      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS   JOR  THE  FLOWER   GAE1>EIT. 


asaodationfi  for  which  they  are  best  adapted.  In  selecting 
tender  plants  of  noble  aspect  or  elegant  foliage,  suited  for 
placing  in  the  open  air  in  British  gardens  during  the  summer 
months,  we  shall  couline  ourselves  to  first-class  plants  only. 
It  is  necessary  that  they  be  such  as  will  afford  a  distinct 
and  desirable  effect  if  they  do  grow;  and  that  is  by  no 
means  to  be  obtained  from  many  subjects  recommended  for 
subtropical  gardening.  And  above  all  we  must  choose 
Bucfa  as  will  make  a  healthy  growth  in  sheltered  places  in 
the  warmer  parts  of  England  and  Ireland  at  all  events. 
There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  not  a  few  of  the  best 
will  be  found  to  flourish  much  further  north  than  is  generally 
aupposed.  In  all  parts  the  kinds  with  permanent  foliage, 
such  as  the  New  Zealand  flax  and  the  hardier  Draceenas, 
will  be  found  as  effective  as  around  Paris,  and  to  such  the 
northern  gardener 
should  turn  his 
attention  as  much 
as  possible.  Even 
if  it  were  possible 
to  cultivate  the 
softer-  growing 
kinds  like  the 
Eerdiuandas  to 
the  same  pcrfeC' 
tion  in  all  parts 
as  in  the  south 
of  England,  it 
would  by  no 
means  be  every- 
where desirable, 
and  especially 
where  means  are 
scarce,  as  these 
kinds  arenot  capa- 
ble of  being  used 
indoors  in  winter. 
The  many  fine 
permanent  leaved 


SUBTROPICA],  PLANTS   POR  THE   FLOWER   OARUEN.      187 


■Bfajects  tbfct  stand  out  in  summer  vithout  the  least  injoiy, 
and  may  be  trausferred  to  the  conserratory  in  autumn,  there 
to  produce  as  fine  an  efiect  all  through  the  cold  months  as 
they  do  in  the  flower  garden  in  summer,  are  the  best  fop 
those  with  limited  means. 

Agave  auericana  and  its  variegated  Tarietics  are  plants 
peculiarly  suited  for  this  kind  of  decoration,  bein^  useful 
for  placing  out  of  doors  in  Bummcr  in  vascSj  tubs,  or  pots 
plunged  in  the  ground,  and  also  for  the  conservatory  in 
winter.  They  are  so  well  known  and  so  long  cultivated  in 
this  country  that  nothing  need  be  said  of  their  requirements 
or  cultivation. 

Akali4  FAPVHireRA  {the  Chinese  Rice-paper  Plant). — This, 
though  a  native  of  the  hot  island  of  Formosa,  flourishes 
vigorously  around  Paris  in  the  summer  months,  and  is  one 
of  the  most 
valuable  plants 
in  its  way.  It 
ta  useful  for  the 
greenhouse  in 
winter  and  the 
flower  garden 
in  summer.  It 
ia  haudsoine  in 
leaf  and  free  in 
growth,  though 
to  do  well  it 
must  be  pro  tec- 
ted  from  cutting 
breezes,  like  all 
the  large-leaved 
things.  Insome 
of  the  warmer 
parts  of  France 
the  Peach  does  very  well  as  a  flcld  tree — a  low  one,  however. 
The  wind  is  so  strong  that  it  would  be  destroyed  if  allowed 
to  rise  in  the  natural  way,  and  so  they  train  it  as  a  dwarf 
bush,  spreading  wide.  Tall  subtropical  plants  have  with 
ui  somewhat  of  the  same  disadvantage.     If  this  Aralia  be 


Aralia  papjrifen 


188      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN. 

planted  in  a  dwarf  and  young  state^  it  is  likely  to  give  more 
satisfaction  than  if  planted  out  when  old  and  tall.  The 
lower  leaves  spread  widely  out  near  the  ground,  and  then 
it  is  presentable  throughout  the  summer.  Prefer  therefore 
dwarf  stocky  plants  when  planting  it  in  early  summer.  It 
should  have  rich,  deep  soil  and  plenty  of  water  during  the 
hot  summer  months.  The  open  air  of  our  country  suits  it 
better  than  the  stove,  and  chiefly  no  doubt  because  it  is 
very  liable  to  the  mealy  bug  when  kept  indoors ;  in  the  free 
air  this  pest  is  washed  away  by  the  rain.  For  the  public 
gardens  of  Paris  it  is  kept  underground  in  caves  during  the 
winter ;  but  in  private  gardens  with  us  it  will  doubtless  be 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  greenhouse  throughout  that  season. 
It  is  easily  increased  by  cuttings  of  the  root.  It  is  usually 
planted  in  masses,  edged  with  a  dwarfer  plant;  but  as  a 
small  group  in  the  centre  of  a  bed  of  flowers,  or  even  as  an 
isolated  specimen  in  a  like  position,  it  is  capital.  The  stems 
of  this  plant  have  a  very  fine  pure  white  pith,  which,  when 
cut  into  thin  strips  and  otherwise  prepared,  forms  the  article 
known  as  rice  paper.  It  is  rare  for  a  plant  to  be  so  useful 
both  in  an  ornamental  and  economic  sense. 

Acacia  lophantha. — ^This  elegant  plant,  though  not 
hardy,  is  one  of  those  which  all  may  enjoy,  from  the  free- 
dom with  which  it  grows  in  the  open  air  in  summer.  It 
will  prove  more  useful  for  the  flower  garden  than  it  has 
ever  been  for  the  houses,  and,  being  easily  raised,  is 
entitled  to  a  place  here  among  the  very  best.  The  elegance 
of  its  leaves  and  its  quick  growth  in  the  open  air  make  it 
quite  a  boon  to  the  flower  gardener  who  wishes  to  establish 
graceful  verdure  amongst  the  brighter  ornaments  of  his 
parterre.  It  will  furnish  the  grace  of  a  fern,  while  close 
and  erect  in  habit,  thus  enabling  us  to  closely  associate  it 
with  flowering  plants  without  in  the  least  shading  them — 
except  from  ugliness.  Of  course  I  speak  of  it  in  the  young 
and  single  stemmed  condition,  the  way  in  which  it  should 
be  used.  By  confining  it  to  a  single  stem  and  using  it  in 
a  young  state,  you  get  the  fullest  size  and  grace  of  which 
the  leaves  are  capable.  Allow  it  to  become  old  and 
branched  and  it  may  be  useful,  but  by  no  means  so  much 


8QBTB0PICAL  PLANTS   FOK  THE   FLOWER  GARDEN.       189 

SO  as  when  young  and  without  side  branches.  It  may  be 
raised  from  seed  as  easily  as  a  common  bedding  plant.  By 
sowing  it  early  in  the  year  it  may  be  had  tit  for  use  by  the 
first  of  June  ;  but  plants  a  year  old  or  so,  stiff,  strong,  aud 
well  hardened  off  for  planting  out  at  the  end  of  May,  are 
the  best.  It  would  be  desirable  to  raise  an  annual  stock,  as 
it  is  almost  as  useful  for  room  decoration  as  for  the  garden. 
AsFLENiUM  NIDUS-AVIS. — This  is  a  very  remarkable  fern, 
which  has  been  placed  out  of  doors  in  the  garden  in  summer, 
but   it  is   not  vigorous  or   hardy  enough   to  be  generally 


recommended  for  this  purpose.  However,  as  it  may  have 
been  noticed  in  abundance  at  Battersea  Park  during  the 
past  season,  I  allude  to  it  here.  It  is  a  popular  subject  in 
places  where  large  collections  of  tropical  ferns  are  grown, 
and  in  such  a  plant  may  be  tried  in  the  open  air  in  a  very 
warm,  shady,  and  perfectly  sheltered  position. 

Caladiuu  esculentum. — ^This  species  has  proved  the 
best  for  out-door  work  of  a  large  genus  with  very  fine  foliage. 
It  is  only  in  the  midland  and  southern  counties  of  Great 
Britain  that  it  can  be  advantageously  grown,  so  far  as  I  have 
observed ;  but  its  grand  outlines  and  aspect  when  well  de- 
veloped make  it  worthy  of  all  attention,  and  of  a  prominent 
position  wherever  the  climate  is  warm  enough  for  ita 
growth.     It  does  very  well  about  London,  and  may  have 


190      SCBTEOPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THB  fLOWBE  OARDBK. 


been  noticed  in  considerable  masses  during  the  past  year 
in  the  London  parks,  vhere  it  served  to  illustrate  to  some 
extent  the  disadvAntages  of  that  mode  of  planting.  When 
seen  in  wide  masses  the  effect  is  by  no  means  so  fine  as 
vhen  in  a  compact  group  or  circle.  The  dead  level  line 
presented  by  the  tops — which  line,  unlike  that  of  the  upper 
surface  of  the  taller  plants,  is  below  the  eye — neutralizes 
considerably  the  great  lines  of  the  leaves ;  but  place  the 
plant  in  a  riog  round  a  central  object,  or  in  some  posi- 
tion where  its 
P">.5i.  fine       leaves 

may  contrast 
immediately 
with  those  of  a 
different  type 
of  vegetatioD, 
and  it  is  beau- 
tiful indeed.  It 
may  be  used 
with  great  ef- 
fect in  associa- 
tion with  many 
fine  foliage 
plants;  butPer- 
dinanda,  Rici- 
nuB,  and  Wi- 
gandia  usually 
grow  too  strong 
for  it,  and  if 
planted  too  close  injure  it.  This  may  have  been  noticed  par- 
ticularly in  cases  where  it  was  used  as  bordering  to  masses 
of  the  strong  growing  kinds  above-named.  With  all  kinds  of 
stonework,  vases,  8u;.,  it  is  peculiarly  effective  and  beautiful. 
C.  esculentum,  though  a  stove  perennial,  is  veiy  easily  kept 
over  the  winter  in  a  dry  spot  under  a  stage  or  in  boxes  of 
sand  in  places  where  hothouse  room  is  scarce.  It  is  readily 
propagated  by  first  starting  the  plants  in  heat,  and  when 
they  have  pushed  forth  eyes  near  the  base,  cutting  them  in 
pieces,  an  eye  or  bud  in  each.     In  spring  the  older  plants 


CaUdiam  etoalerituin. 


BUBTEOPICAI,  PLANTS   FOR  THE   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


191 


sbonld  be  potted  and  grown  on  in  heat,  so  as  to  be  fit  to 
plant  out  about  the  middle  of  June.  On  the  vhole, 
although  so  fine  and  distinct,  it  is  not  suitable  for  any  but 
mild  and  warm  parts  of  the  southern  half  of  these  islands. 
The  nearly  allied  Colocasia  odorata  is  aometimes  employed,  and 
effectively  especially  in  the  case  of  old  specimens  with  stems. 

Fro.  65. 


ColucaHia  odorata. 


The  Cannas. — If  there  were  no  plants  of  handsome  habit 
and  graceful  leaf  available  for  the  improvement  of  our 
fiower  gardens  but  these  we  need  not  despair,  for  they 
possess  almoEt  every  quality  the  most  fastidious  could  desire, 
and  present  a  useful  and  charming  variety.  The  larger 
kinds  make  grand  masses,  while  all  may  be  associated 
intimately  with  flowering  plants — an  advantage  that  does 
not  belong  to  some  free-growing  things  like  the  Castor-oil 
plant.  The  Cauna  ascends  as  boldly,  and  spreads  forth  as 
fine  a  mass  of  leaves  as  any  ;  but  may  be  closely  grouped 
with  much  smaller  subjects.     The  general  tendency  of  most 


192   SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  POB  THE  PLOWEB  OABDBN. 


Fio.  66. 


of  our  flower-garden  plants  is  to  assume  a  flatness  and  dead 
level,  so  to  speak ;  aod  it  is  the  very  qualities  possessed  by 
theCauuas  for  counteracting  this  that  makes  them  so  valuable. 
Eren  the  grandest  of  the  other  subjects  preserve  this  tameness 
of  upper  surface  outline  trhen  grown  in  great  quantities  : 
not  80  these,  the  leaves  of  which,  even  when  grown  in  dense 
groups,  always 
carry  the  eye  up 
pleasantly  from 
the  humbler 
plants,  and  are 
grand  aids  in  ef- 
fecting that  bar- 
mony  between 
the  important 
tree  and  shrub 
embellishments 
of  our  gardens 
and  their  sur- 
roundings, and 
the  dwarf  flower- 
bed vegetation, 
which  is  so  much 
wanted.  Another 
charm  of  tliese 
most  useful  sub- 
jects is  their 
power  of  with- 
Btanding  the  cold 
and  storms  of 
autumn.  They 
do  so  better  than 
many  of  our 
hardy  open-air  plants,  so  that  when  the  last  leaves  have 
been  blown  from  the  Lime,  and  the  Dahlia  and  Hehotrope 
have  been  hurt  by  frost,  you  may  see  them  waving  as 
greenly  and  gracefiilly  as  the  vegetation  of  a  temperate 
stove.  Many  of  the  subtropical  plants,  used  for  the  beauty 
of  their  leaves,  are  so  tender  that  they  go  off  in  autumn,  or 


CaDDB  nigricani. 


8MTB0FI0AL  PLANTS  FOR  TOE  SLOWER  6ARDBH.      193 


leqiiire  all  sorts  of  avkward  protection  at  that  seasoa ;  bat 
the  Caonas  last  in  good  trim  till  the  borders  must  be  cleared. 
All  sheltered  positions,  places  near  warm  walls,  and  nice 
Bnogly-Tarmed  dells,  are  capital  positions  for  them.  Thqr 
are  generally  nsed  in  great  ugly  massesj  both  about  Fans 
and  London ;  but  their  true  beauty  will  never  be  seen  till  we 

Fra.  67. 


Canna  atro-nigricani. 

leam  to  place  them  tastefully  here  and  there  among  the 
flowering  plants — just  as  we  place  sprigs  of  graceful 
fern  in  a  bouquet.  A  bed  or  two  solely  devoted  to 
them  will  occasionally  prove  very  effective ;  but  enormooa 
meaningless  masses  of  them,  containing  perhaps  several 
hundred  plants  of  one  variety,  are  things  to  avoid  and  not 
to  imitate.     As  to  culture  and  propagation,  nothing  can  be 


194   SUBTEOPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  PLOWEB  OABDEN. 

more  simple :  they  may  be  stored  in  winter  as  readily  as 
potatoes^  under  shelves  in  the  houses^  in  the  root-room^  or^ 
in  fact^  anywhere  covered  np  from  the  influences  of  frost. 
And  then  in  springs  when  we  desire  to  propagate  them, 
nothing  is  easier  than  pulling  the  roots  in  pieces,  and 
potting  them  separately.  Afterwards  it  is  usual  to  bring 
them  on  in  heat,  and  finally  harden  them  off  previous  to 
planting  out;  but  a  modification  of  this  practice  is  de- 
sirable, as  some  kinds  are  of  a  remarkably  hardy  constitu- 
tion, and  make  a  beautiful  growth  if  put  out  without  so 
much  as  a  leaf  on  them. 

In  rambling  through  an  obscure  part  of  Paris  one  even- 
ing, I  encountered  a  tuft  of  Canna  springing  up  strongly 
through  and  around  a  box-edging — ^pretty  good  evidence 
that  it  had  remained  there  for  some  years.  Upon  inquiry 
of  the  proprietor  of  the  garden  I  found  this  was  the  case, 
and  that  he  had  no  doubt  of  the  hardiness  of  several  other 
kinds.  They  were  planted  not  more  than  eight  or  ten 
inches  deep.  When  we  remember  that  the  Cannas  are 
amongst  the  most  valuable  plants  we  use  for  giving  grace 
and  verdure  to  the  flower  garden,  this  surely  is  a  hint 
worthy  of  being  acted  upon.  Considering  their  diversity 
of  colour  and  size,  their  graceful  pointed  habit  and  facility 
of  propagation,  we  must  concede  them  the  first  place ;  but 
their  capability  of  being  used  by  anybody  who  grows 
ordinary  bedding  plants,  and  the  fact  that  they  may  be 
preserved  so  very  easily  through  the  winter,  enhance  their 
value  stUl  more.  The  following  are  among  the  best  of  the 
hardiest  kinds : — C.  Annsei,  musaefolia,  gigantea,  limbata, 
Warscewiczii,  nigricans,  maxima,  and  zebrina.  Of  course 
they  will  prove  equally  hardy  with  us.  As  it  is  desirable 
to  change  the  arrangements  as  much  as  possible  every  year, 
it  may  not  be  any  advantage  to  leave  them  in  the  groimd, 
and  in  that  case  they  may  be  taken  up  with  the  bedding 
plants,  and  stored  as  simply  and  easUy  as  carrots,  parsnips, 
or  potatoes.  A  bed  of  Cannas,  protected  by  a  coating  of 
litter,  was  left  out  in  Battersea  Park  through  the  severe 
winter  of  1866-7.  During  the  unfavourable  summer  of 
1867  they  attained  a  height  of  nearly  twelve  feet. 


SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.   195 

The  Dracjenas. — Long  as  this  noble  family  has  been 
known  in  our  gardens^  we  have  yet  to  learn  a  great  deal 
about  its  use  and  beauty.  Hitherto  only  allowed  to  grace 
a  stove  or  conservatory  now  and  then^  Dracaenas  in  future 
will  be  among  the  most  indispensable  ornaments  of  every 
garden  where  grace  or  variety  is  sought.  They  are  among 
the  very  best  of  those  subjects  which  may  be  brought  from 
the  conservatory  or  greenhouses  in  early  summer^  and  placed 
in  the  flower  garden  till  it  is  time  to  take  them  in  again  to 
the  houses,  where  we  protect  them  through  the  winter. 
And  if  it  were  not  necessary  to  protect  them  through  the 
winter  it  would  be  almost  worth  our  while  to  bring  them 
indoors  at  that  season,  so  graceful  are  they,  and  so  useful 
for  adding  the  highest  character  to  our  conservatories.  One 
well  filled  with  such  plants  presents  a  very  different  ap- 
pearance to  most  English  plant-houses  in  winter.  The 
hardier  and  most  coriaceous  kinds,  like  indivisa  and  DracOj 
may  be  placed  out  with  impunity  very  far  north.  The 
brightly  coloured  kinds,  like  terminalis,  have  been  tried  in 
the  open  air  at  Battersea,  but  not  with  success.  It  would 
be  dangerous  to  try  them  in  the  open  air  much  farther 
north,  except  in  very  favourable  spots.  The  better  kinds 
are  indicated  in  the  select  list  of  subtropical  plants.  I 
have  seen  D.  indivisa  grow  well  in  the  open  air  in  the  south 
of  England.     It  has  been  many  years  out  at  Bicton. 

EcHEVERiA  METALLicA. — This  is  scarccly  elevated  enough 
to  be  suitable  for  association  with  such  plants  as  the  fore- 
going, but  it  is  so  very  distinct  in  aspect,  and  has  been 
proved  to  grow  so  well  in  the  open  air  during  several 
unfavourable  seasons,  that  we  must  not  pass  it  by.  I  pur- 
posely exclude  &om  this  selection  many  things  sometimes 
included  in  lists  of  "  subtropical "  plants,  but  which  may 
be  classed  most  properly  with  bedding  subjects.  But  this, 
although  not  very  large,  forms  an  agreeable  and  distinct 
object,  and  is  very  well  calculated  for  producing  a  striking 
effect  among  dwarf  bedding  and  edging  plants.  It  should^ 
however,  be  placed  singly,  and  among  very  dwarf  things, 
such  as  Sedum,  Sempervivum,  and  its  dwarf  relative 
E.  secunda.     It  may  be  propagated  by  the  leaves  or  by 

o  2 


196      SDBTEOPICAL  PLAN'FS  FOB  TE£  iTLOWEB  QARDBK. 


Fia.  68. 


CQttiiige,  and  reqnirea  a  dry  greenhoaae  ahelf  in  the  vioter. 
Idgbt  saudf  earth,  not  of  necesmty  very  poor,  vill  suit  it 
best  in  the  open  idr.  It  is  likely  to  become  one  of  tlie 
most  popular  of  all  garden  plants. 

FxRDiNANDA  XHINKK8. — This  is  One  of  the  tallest  and 
noblest  subtropical  plants,  growing  well  in  the  southern 
and  midland  counties :  wherever  it  is  supplied  with  rich  soil 
and  abundant  moisture.  It  is  also  very  much  the  better 
tar  being  sheltered,  and  so  are  all  large  and  soft-leaved 
plants.  Where  the  soil  ia  rich,  deep,  and  humid,  and  the 
petition  warm,  it  attains  large  dimensions,  sometimes  grow* 
ing  over  twelve  feet,  and  suspending  immeoBe  paira  of  op- 
posite leaves.  It  will  in  all  cases  form  a  capital  companion 
to  the  Caator-oil  plant,  and,  though  it  may  not  be  grown 
with  such  ease  in  all  parts,  it  should  be  in  every  collection, 
considering  that  it  grows  qtiite  as  well  in  the  south  of 
England  as  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris.  It  requires  to 
be  planted  out  in  a 
young  state,  and  grows 
fireely  firom  cuttings. 
Greenhouse  treatment 
will  do  in  winter.  It 
is  better  to  keep  a  stock 
in  pots  through  the  sum- 
mer  to  aflbrd  cuttings, 
though  the  old  ones  may 
be  used  for  that  purpose. 
Ftccs  BLASTiCA  (India- 
rubber  Plant). — Another 
fine  old  plant,  for  which 
we  have  lately  found  a 
new  use.  It  ia  one  of 
those  valuable  leathery- 
leaved  things  that  are 
useful  in  hothoiise,  draw- 
ing-room, or  flower  gar- 
den. It  not  only  exists 
in  the  open  air  in  summer 
in  good  health,  but  makes 


-    SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  TOR  THR  PLOWEB  GARDEN.      197 

a  good  growth  under  the  influence  of  our  weak  northern 
Bnn.  Never  assuming  the  imposing  proportions  of  other 
plants  mentioned  here,  it  is  best  adapted  for  select  mixed 
groups,  and  in  small  gardens  as  isolated  gpecimena  amongst 
low  bedding  plants.  It  requires  stove  treatment,  and  is 
propagated  from  cuttings.  In  all  cases  it  is  better  to  use 
plants  with  single  steins.  It  is  especially  valuable  in  con- 
sequence of  doing  perfectly  well  in  the  dry  air  of  inhabited 
rooms,  and  this  will  enable  many  to  enjoy  a  fine-leaved 
plant  in  the  flower  garden  who  have  not  a  glass  house  of 
any  kind  on  their  premises. 


Honstera  deliciosB. 

HoMSTERA  nELiciosA — This  very  remarkable-looking  plant 
has  been  found  to  bear  being  placed  in  the  open  air  with 
impunity  in  shady  and  sheltered  spots.  Its  great  perfo- 
rated leaves  look  so  singular  that  everybody  should  grow  it 
who  has  a  stove  in  which  to  do  so,  and  it  is  so  readily 
grown  and  propagated  that  a  plant  may  soon  be  spared  for 
placing  in  the  open  air  during  the  warmer  months. 

MusA  Ensete. — The  noblest  of  all  the  plants  yet  used 


198      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THE  PL0W2B  GARDEN. 

in  the  flower  garden  is  Mnsa  Ensete-^the  great  Abyssinian 
Banana,  discovered  by  Bruce.  The  fruit  of  this  kind  is 
not  edible,  like  that  of  the  Banana  and  Plantain  (Musa 
paradisiaca  and  sapientum),  but  the  leaves  are  magnificent  ; 
and,  strange  to  say,  they  stand  the  rain  and  storms  of  the 
neighbourhood  of  Paris  without  laceration,  while  all  the 
other  kinds  of  Musa  become  torn  into  shreds.  It  is  an 
interesting  and  hitherto  unknown  fact,  that  the  finest  of  all 
the  Banana  or  Musa  tribe  is  also  the  hardiest  and  most 
easily  preserved.  When  grown  for  the  open  air,  it  will  of 
course  require  to  be  kept  in  a  house  during  winter,  and 
planted  out  the  first  week  in  June.  In  any  place  where 
there  is  a  large  conservatory  or  winter  garden,  it  will  be 
found  most  valuable,  either  for  planting  therein,  or  for 
keeping  over  the  winter,  as,  if  merely  housed  in  such  a 
structure  during  the  cold  months,  it  will  prove  a  great 
ornament  among  the  other  plants,  while  it  may  be  put  out 
in  summer  when  the  attraction  is  all  out  of  doors.  Other 
kinds  of  Musa  have  been  tried  in  the  open  air  in  England, 
but  have  barely  existed,  making  it  clear  that  they  should 
not  be  so  cultivated  in  this  country.  The  Ensete  is  the 
only  species  really  worth  growing  in  this  way.  Where  the 
climate  is  too  cold  to  put  it  out  of  doors  in  simimer,  it 
should  be  grown  in  all  conservatories  in  which  it  is 
desired  to  establish  the  noblest  type  of  vegetation.  It  has 
hitherto  been  generally  grown  in  stoves.  It  also  stands  the 
drought  and  heat  of  a  living  room  remarkably  well,  and 
though,  when  well  developed,  it  is  much  too  big  for  any 
but  Brobdingnagian  halls,  the  fact  may  nevertheless  be 
taken  much  advantage  of  by  those  interested  in  room  de- 
coration on  a  large  scale.  The  plant  is  difficult  to  obtain 
as  yet,  but  will,  I  trust,  be  sought  out  and  made  abundant 
by  our  nurserymen. 

Last  September  I  saw  a  fine  plant  of  this  Musa  that  had 
remained  in  the  open  ground  in  Baron  Haussmann^s  garden 
in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  during  the  preceding  winter.  It 
was  left  in  the  position  in  which  it  grew  during  the  summer 
of  1867,  and  in  the  month  of  November  covered  with  a 
little  thatched  shed,  the  space  about  the  plant  being  filled 


BDBTBOPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THE  PLOWBE  GAEDEN. 


190 


Fio. 


•wiib.  dry  leaves.  All  the  leaves  irere  cut  off.  la  spring 
the  protection  vas  removed  and  the  plant  pushed  vigo- 
rously. It  had  (on  the  8th  of  September,  1868),  sixteen 
leaves,  not  one  of  which  was  torn  or  lacerated,  although  it 
was  in  an  exposed  position.  It  was  not  more  than  five 
feet  high,  but  more  attractive  than  much  larger  individuals 
of  the  same  species,  from  being  so  compact  and  untattered 
in  its  growth.  As  most  people  who  grow  it  will  have  means 
of  keeping  it  indoors  in  winter,  and  as  it  is  so  rare,  this 
mode  of  keeping  it  is  not  likely  to  he  taken  advantage  of 
with  us  at  present ;  but  that  it  can  and  has  been  so  win- 
tered is  an  interesting  fact. 

NicoTiANA  wioAMDioiDEs. — Ttiis  is  a  shrubby  or  rather 
tree- like  species  of 
Tobacco,  which,  when 
put  out  in  a  young 
and  healthy  state, 
makes  a  vigorous 
growth,  and  is  an  im- 
posing subject  both  in 
the  climate  of  Paris 
and  London.  The 
treatment  given  to 
such  things  as  the 
Polymnia  will  suit  it 
well.  It  is,  however, 
scarcely  so  ornamental 
<n:  generally  useful  as 
the  large-leaved  and 
bright-flowered  va- 
riety of  the  common 
Tobacco  spoken  of 
fnrther  on. 

FOLYHNIA    I 


NicotiuiK  wigandioidoe. 


AND       7TBA.MIDAI.IB. — 

These  belong  to  the 

great  composite  order, 

and  are  distinguished  by  rich  handsome  foliage  aud  rapid 

summer  growth,  which,  mraxover,  never  becomes  objection- 


200      BnBTROFICAL  PLANTS   FOR  THE  H,OWER    GARDIN. 


ftble  from  any  trace  of  raggedness,  the  erect  shoots  g;rowii)g 
away  till  the  end  of  the  season  in  our  climate.  Doubtlesa, 
there  is  a  point  at  which  in  their  native  country  seediness 
does  arrire,  but  with  us  theyj  lihe  the  Kicinus  of  one 
mmmer,  alwaj-B  look  fresh  and  young,  and  are  most  appro< 
priate  for  forming 
^'°-  "•  luxuriant  masses  of 

foliage  in  the  flower 
garden,  and  for  di- 
Tersiiying  ita  as- 
pecL  P.  grandis 
is  best  known  in 
this  country,  and  is 
second  to  no  other 
plant  for  its  digni- 
fied and  finished 
efl'ect  in  the  flower 
garden ;  but  P,  py- 
ramidalis  is  aUo 
good  and  distinct. 
They  are  easily 
struck  from  cut- 
tings taken  from 
old  plants  and  put 
in  heat  in  spring. 
Like  most  large  soft 
growing  things  in 
this  way,  they  are 
best  planted  out  in  a  young  state,  so  as  to  insure  a  fresh  and 
unstinted  growth.  P.  pyramidalis  is  the  newest  of  the  group 
and  that  least  known  in  cultivation.  I  saw  it  several  times 
during  the  past  season  in  Paris.  The  leaves  are  not  so  lai^ 
as  those  of  the  other  species,  and  differ  in  shape,  being  nearly 
cordate,  bat  the  growth  is  vigorotu  and  the  habit  distinct.  It 
pushes  tip  a  narrow  pyramidal  head  of  foliage  to  a  height 
of  nearly  ten  feet  in  Paris  gardens,  and  will  be  found  to  do 
well  in  the  south  of  England. 

Phorhidu  tenax  (the  New  Zealand  Flax). — This  is  tole- 
rably well  known  among  us  as  a  greenhouse  and  conservatory 


Paljmiiia  graadii. 


SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.   201 

subject^  but  not  nearly  so  much  grown  as  it  ought  to  be. 
The  French   make  a  grand  use    of  it^  both  indoors  in 
■winter,  and  in  the  conservatory  and  out-of-doors  in  sum- 
mer.   About  Paris  it  is  of  course  as  tender  as  with  us,  and 
requires  the  same  amount  of  attention,  which,  after  all,  is 
very  little.     They  grow  it  by  the  thousand  for  the  decora- 
tion of  rooms,  and  in  the  great  nursery  of  the  city  of  Paris 
at  Passy  there  are  10,000  plants  of  it,  chiefly  used  for  the 
embellishment  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville.     I  need  hardly  say 
that  we  are  much  worse  off  for  graceful  things  for  indoor 
decoration  than  the   French,   and  should  in  consequence 
grow  this  plant  abundantly,  according  to  our  space.    When 
grown  to  a  medium  size  its  leaves  begin  to  arch  over,  and 
when  in  that  condition  nothing  makes  a  more  graceful  and 
distinct  ornament  for  room  or  hall.     It  may  be  grown  to 
presentable  perfection  in  an  eight-inch  pot,  or  to  a  great 
mass  of  bold  k)ng  leaves  in  a  tub  a  yard  in  diameter. 
Grenerally  with  us  it  will  be  found  to  enjoy  greenhouse 
temperature,  though  in  genial  places  in  the  south  and  west 
of  Ireland  and  England  it  does  very  well  in  the  open  air. 
Its  best  use  is  for  the  decoration  of  the  garden  in  summer, 
a  few  specimens  well  grown  and  plunged  in  the  grass  or  the 
centre  of  a  bed  giving  a  most  distinct  aspect  to  the  scene. 
The  larger  such  plants  are,  the  better,  of  course,  will  be  the 
effect.   The  small  ones  will  prove  equally  useful  and  effective 
in  vases,  to  which  they  will  add  a  grace  that  vases  rarely  now 
possess.     It  is   pre-eminently  useful  from  its  being  alike 
good  for  the  house,  conservatory,  and  even  the  living  rooms 
in  winter.     Wherever  indoor  decoration  on  a  large  scale  is 
practised  it  is  indispensable,  and  it  should  be  remarked  that, 
unless  for  vase  decoration  it  requires  to  be  grown  into  goodly 
specimens  before  affording  much  effect  out  of  doors;  but 
when  grown  large  in  tubs,  it  is  equally  grand  for  the  large 
conservatory  and  for  important  positions  in  the  flower  garden. 
RiciNUs  COMMUNIS  (thc  Castor-oil  Plant). — When  well 
grown  in  the  open  air,  there  is  not  in  the  whole  range  of 
cultivated  plants  a  more  imposing  subject  than  this.     It 
may  have  been  seen  nearly  twelve  feet  high  in  the  London 
parks  of  late  years,  and  with  leaves  nearly  a  yard  wide.     It 


202      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE   FLOWER  GARDEN. 

is  true  we  require  a  bed  of  very  rich  deep  earth  under  it  to 
make  it  attain  such  dimensions  and  beauty ;  but  in  all 
parts^  and  "with  ordinary  attention^  it  grows  well.    In  warm 
countries^  in  which  the  plant  is  very  widely  cultivated  it 
becomes  a  small  tree^  but  is  much  prettier  in  the  state  in 
which  it  is  seen  with  us — i.e.,  with   an  unbranched  stem^ 
clothed  from  top  to  bottom  with  noble  leaves.     Soon  after 
it  betrays  a   tendency  to   develope   side-shoots,  the  cold 
autumn  comes  and  puts  an  end  to  all  further  progress ;  and 
so  much  the  better,  because  it  is  much  handsomer  in  a 
'  simple-stemmed  state  than  any  other.     The  same  is  true 
of  not  a  few  other  large-leaved  plants — once  they  break 
into  a  number  of  side-shoots  their  leaf  beauty  is  to  a  great 
extent  lost.     In  the  planting  out  of  some  other  subjects,  it 
has  been  considered  well  to  raise  the  beds  on  lime-rubbish, 
&c.,  or  in  other  words,  to  build  them  upon  it,  sloping  up 
the  edge  with  soil  and  turf.     But  to  grow  this  to  perfection, 
the  best  way  is  to  deeply  excavate  the  bed,  and  place  some 
rich  stuff  in  the  bottom,  making  all  the  earth  as  rich  as 
possible.     It  is  as  easily  raised  from  seed  as  the  common 
bean,  requiring,  however,  to  be  raised  in  heat.    The  Bicinus 
is  a  grand  plant  for  making  bold  and  noble  beds  near  those 
of  the  more  brilliant  flowers,  and  tends  to  vary  the  flower 
garden  finely.     It  is  not  well  to  closely  associate  it  with 
bedding  plants,  in  consequence  of  the  strong  growth  and 
shading  power  of  the  leaves,  so  to  speak.    It  is  a  good  plan 
to  make  a  compact  group  of  the  plant  in  the  centre  of  some 
wide  circular  bed  and  surround  it  with  a  band  of  a  dwarfer 
subject,  say  the  Aralia  or   Caladiimi,  and  then  finish  with 
whatever  arrangement  of  the  flowering  plants  may  be  most 
admired.    A  bold  and  striking  centre  may  be  obtained,  while 
the  effect  of  the  flowers  is  much  enhanced,  especially  if  the 
planting  be  nicely  graduated  and  tastefully  done.     It  is 
a  judicious  combination  of  both  the  green   and  the  gay 
that  we  are  most  in  want  of,  and  few  things  can  do  so  much 
to  effect  it  for  us  in  the  flower  garden  as  the  common  Castor- 
oil  plant.     This  combination  may  be  effected  in  any  way 
that  taste  may  direct.     A  graceful  handsome-leaved  subject 
in  the  centre  of  a  flower  bed  will  help  it  out,  and  so  will 


B0BTROPIOAL  PLANTS  POK  THE  FLOWER  QAEDEH.      203 


bold  groups  of  fine-leaved  plants  towards  the  outer  parts  of 
tlie  flower  garden.  Tbese  bold  masses  connect  in  some 
degree  the  larger  ligneous  vegetation  that  usually  snrroonda 
oar  flower  gardens  with  the  small  and  low-lying  brilliant 
flowers.  For  such  groupa  the  varieties  of  the  Castor-oil 
plant  are  not  likely  to  be  surpassed. 

SEAroRTHiA  ELEOANs. — This  is  perhaps  the  most  elegant 
and  useful  of  all  palms  which  may  be  safely  placed  out  in 
summer.  It  is  too  scarce  as  yet  to  be  procurable  by  horti- 
culturists generally]  but  should  be  looked  for  by  all  who  take 
an  interest  in  these  matters,  and  have  a  hoiise  in  which  to 
jrrow  it.  It  stands  well  in  the  conservatory  during  the 
winter,  though  generally  kept  in  the  stove,  where  of  coiune 
it  grows  beautifully.  There  are  hardier  kinds — the  dwarf 
fan  palm  for  example,  but  on  the  whole  none  of  them  are  so 
valuable  as  this.  The  following  palms  are  suitable  for  like 
purposes: — Areca  luteaceus,  Caryota  urens,  Caryota  sobo- 
lifera,  Chamierops  humilis,  Chamterops  Fortunei,  Chauuerops 
Palmetto,  Latauia  borbouica,  Fhcenix  dactylifera,  Phoenix 
Bylvestris,  Corypha  australis. 

The  Solanuus. — This  family,  so  wonderfully  varied, 
affords  numerous 
species  that  look 
flne  and  iroposiog 
in  leaf  when  in  a 
young  and  free- 
growing  state.  In 
the  nursery  gar> 
den  of  the  city  of 
Paris  there  ia  a 
very  la^e  house 
entirely  devoted 
to  the  family,  in 
which  are  pre- 
served over  the 
winter  months 
more  thau  sixty 
species  for  the 
embellishment    of 


204      SUBTROPICAL   PLANTS   FOR  THE  FLOWER  OABDEN. 

Faiiman  gardens.  But  ia  selecting  examples  from  this  great 
gemxa  we  must  be  much  more  careful,  as  our  climate  is 
a  shade  too  cold  for  them,  and  many  of  them  are 
of  too  ragged  an  aspect  to  be  tolerated  in  a  taatefiil 
garden.  Half  a  dozen  species  or  bo  are  indispensable, 
bat  quite  a  crowd  of  narrow-leared  and  ignoble  ones  may 
well  be  dispensed  with.     The  better  kinds — as  seen  both  in 


SolaDum  robuatum. 

London  and  Paris  gardens — are  marginatum,  robnstum, 
macranthum,  macrophyllumj  Warscewiczii,  crinipes,  calli- 
carpum,  jubatum,  Quitoense,  galianthum,  hippoleucum, 
crinitom,  and  Fontunesianum,  an  annual  with  pretty 
leaves,  crisped  and  distinct  looking. 

Most  of  these  plants  may  be  raised  from  seed,  while  they 
are  also  £reely  grown  from  cuttings.     As  a  rule  hothouse 


8DBTE0PICAT.  PLANTS  FOB  THE  FLOWEK  QABDXN. 


205 


treatment  in  vinter  is  required,  and  in  summer  rich  light 
Boil,  a  varm  position,  and  perfect  shelter.  S.  mai^pnatam, 
planted  in  a  very  dwarf  and  young  state,  furnishes  a  most  dis- 
tinct and  charming  e&ct :  it  should  be  planted  rather  thinly, 
so  that  the  leaves  of  one  plant  may  not  brush  against  those 
of  another.  If  some  very  dwarf  plants  are  used  as  a 
groundwork  bo  much  the  better,  hut  the  downy  and  silvery 
leaves  of  this  plant  are  sure  to  please  without  this  aid.  It 
is  very  much  better  when  thus  grown  than  when  permitted 
to  assume  the  hush  form.  All  the  other  kinds  named  are 
soitable  for  association  with  the  larger  leaved  plants,  though 
they  do  not  attain  such  height  and  vigorous  development  as 
those  of  the  first  rank,  like  the  RiciDUs. 


Uhd«k  bipinoatiSda. 

Uhoea  BiPiNNATiriDA. — This  is  one  of  the  most  use^ 
plants  in  its  class,  producing  a  rich  mass  of  handsome 
leaves,  with  somewhat  the  aspect  of  those  of  the  great  cow- 


206   SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THE  PLOWEB  OABDEN. 

parsnips^  but  of  a  more  refined  type.  The  leaves  are  of  a 
slightly  silvery  tone,  and  the  plant  continues  to  grow  fresh 
and  vigorously  till  the  late  autumn.  It  is  freely  propagated 
by  cuttings  taken  from  old  plants  kept  in  a  very  cool  stove^ 
greenhouse,  or  pit  during  the  winter  months,  and  placed  in 
heat  to  afford  cuttings  the  more  readily  in  early  spring. 
Under  ordinary  cutting  treatment  on  hotbeds  or  in  a  moist 
warm  propagating  house,  it  grows  as  freely  as  could  be 
desired,  and  may  be  planted  out  at  the  end  of  May  or  the 
beginning  of  June.  It  is  well  suited  for  forming  rich 
masses  of  foliage,  not  so  tall,  however,  as  those  formed  by 
such  things  as  Ricinus  or  Ferdinanda. 

Vebbesina  gioantea. — ^To  this  and  other  members  of  the 
fisimily,  somewhat  the  same  remarks  will  serve  as  have 
been  applied  to  the  preceding.  They  require  about  the 
same  treatment,  and  are  useful  in  the  production  of  like 
effects.  They,  like  their  fellows,  will  be  much  the  better 
for  as  warm  and  sheltered  a  position  and  as  rich  and  light 
a  soil  as  can  be  conveniently  given  them. 

WiGANDiA  MACROPHTLLA  (caracasaua). — ^This  noble  plant, 
a  native  of  the  mountainous  regions  of  New  Oranada,  is 
unquestionably,  from  the  nobility  of  its  port  and  the  mag- 
nificence  of  its  leaves,  entitled  to  hold  a  place  among  the 
finest  plants  of  our  gardens.  Under  the  climate  of  London 
it  has  made  leaves  which  have  surprised  all  beholders,  as 
well  by  their  size  as  by  their  strong  and  remarkable  veining 
and  texture.  It  will  be  found  to  succeed  very  well  in  the 
midland  and  southern  counties  of  England,  though  too 
much  care  cannot  be  taken  to  secure  for  it  a  warm  sheltered 
position,  free  good  soU,  and  perfect  drainage.  It  may  be 
used  with  superb  effect  either  in  a  mass  or  as  a  single  plant. 
It  is  frequently  propagated  by  cuttings  of  the  roots,  and 
grown  on  in  a  moist  and  genial  temperature  through  the 
spring  months,  keeping  it  near  the  light  so  as  to  preserve  it 
in  a  dwarf  and  well  clothed  condition;  and,  like  all  the 
other  plants  in  this  class,  it  should  be  very  carefully 
hardened  off.  It  is,  however,  much  better  raised  from 
cuttings  of  the  shoots,  if  these  are  to  be  had.  W.  macro- 
phylla  has  the  stems  covered  with  short  stinging  hairs. 


SIFBTEOPICAL  PLANTS  POB  TEE  FtOWEE  GAEDEN.      207 

and  beftriug  brownish  viscid  drops,  which  like  oil  adheres  to 
the  hand  when  the  stem  is  toudied.  "Wigandia  Yigieri  is 
a  plant  of  quick  and  vigoTons  growth,  and  remarkable  habit. 
In  the  b^miing  of  September,  1867, 1  measured  a  specimen 
with  leaves  three  feet  nine  inches  long,  counting  the  leaf- 
stalk, and  twenty-two  inches  across — the  stem,  nearly  seven 
feet  high  and  two  inches  in  diameter,  bearing  a  column  of 
Fio.  75. 


AVigRDilU  macropliylJii  (W.  caracaBana). 
such  leaves.  It  is  known  at  a  glance  from  the  popular 
and  oUer  W,  macropbylla — by  the  leaves  and  the  stems 
being  covered  in  a  greater  degree  with  glossy,  slender, 
stinging  bodies.  These  are  so  thickly  produced  as  to  give 
the  stems  a  glistening  appearance.  W.  urens  is  another 
species  often  planted,  but  decidedly  inferior  to  either  of  the 
foregoing,  except  in  power  of  stinging,  in  which  way  it  is 
not  likely  to  be  surpassed.     Seeds  of  the  three  species  have 


208      SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOB  THK  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


been  o£fered^  and  all  may  be  raised  in  that  way — ^W.  Yigieri 
with  unusual  facility. 

A  select  list  of  100  of  the  subtropical  plants  best  suited  for  use 
in  our  climate.    The  most  indispensable  kinds  are  marked  *. 


1.  *  Acacia  lophantha. 

2.  *Agave  americana. 
8.  Agave      americans 

variegata. 

4.  Akopliila  australia. 

5.  „        ezcelaa. 

6.  Anthurinm  Hookeri. 

7.  Aralia  macropbylla. 

8.  I,      *papyrifera. 

9.  „      reticulata. 

10.  Araacaria  excelsa. 

11.  Areca  latescens. 

12.  Balantium  culcitum. 
18.  Bocconia  fimtescens. 

14.  Brexia  madagasca- 

riensis. 

15.  *Caladinm  esculen- 

turn. 

16.  C.  bataviense. 

17.  Canna    Annei    sn- 

perba. 

18.  „    ^robnsta. 

19.  „    ^musaefolia 

bybrida. 

20.  ,1    ^nigricaDB. 

21.  „    *grandiflora 

floribunda. 

22.  „    *G^ant. 

28.  „  ^discolor  flori- 
banda. 

24.      „    ^metallica. 

26.  I,  •rubra  super- 
bissima. 

26.  Carludovica     pal- 

mata. 

27.  Gary  Ota  urens. 

28.  n       Bobolifera. 

29.  Cassia  corymbosa. 

80.  „     floribunda. 

81.  Cbunsepeuce      dia- 

caotha. 

82.  ChamieropB  bnmilis. 
88.  I,    *exce]sa. 
84.           ..    *Pa]metto. 


it 


35.  Colea  ConunersonL 

36.  ^Colocasia  odorata. 

37.  *Cordyline  indivisa. 

38.  CoryDna  australia. 

39.  Cyatnea  dealbata. 

40.  *Cyca8  revoluta. 

41.  Dahlia  imperialia. 

42.  Dicksonia     antarc- 

tica. 

43.  *Drac»Da  australis. 

44.  ,,  ^indiYisa. 

45.  ,1  •Draco.* 

46.  „  ^braziliensis. 

47.  ,,    nutans. 

48.  „    Rumphi. 

49.  „    erithoracbis. 

50.  I,  *cann»folia. 

51.  „  *liDeata. 

52.  ^Ecbeveria     metal- 

lica. 

53.  Erytbrina     crista - 

^lli,  and  its  va- 
rieties. 

54.  ^Ferdinanda     emi- 

nens. 

55.  *Ficu8  clastica. 

56.  „     nymphefle- 

fona. 

57.  „     Cbauvieri. 

58.  Hedycbium    auran- 

tiacum. 

59.  „  Gardnerianum. 

60.  Lomatia  Bidwilli. 

61.  „        silaifolia. 

62.  Lomatopbyllum  bor- 

bonicum. 

63.  *Meb'anthus  major. 

64.  Monstera  deliciosa. 

65.  *Musa  Ensete. 

66.  Neottopteris  austra- 

lasica. 

67.  Nicotiana      wigan- 

dioides. 


68.  Papyrus  antiquorum. 

69.  Phifodendron  Simsi. 

70.  „  macropbyllam. 

71.  Fhcenix  dactyufera. 

72.  ,,      sylvestris. 

73.  *Phormium  tenax. 

74.  Polymnia  grandia. 

75.  „     pyramidalis. 

76.  PotboB  acaulis. 

77.  Hbopala      corcoTa- 

dense. 

78.  *Ricinu8  communis, 

in  many  varieties. 

79.  Sanseviera      seyla- 

nica. 

80.  *Seafortbiaelegans. 

81.  Selinum  decipiens. 

82.  Senecio    Gbies- 

bre^bti. 

83.  Senecio  Petasites. 

84.  Bolanum  crinipes. 

85.  „  macrantbum. 

86.  II  macropbyllum. 

87.  II  marginatum. 

88.  II  robustum. 

89.  II  Warscewiczii. 

90.  Soncbus  laciniatus. 

91.  Sparmannia       afri- 

cana. 

92.  StadmanniaJongbii. 

93.  Tradescantia      dis- 

color. 

94.  ,,         zebrina. 

95.  Tupidantbos  calyp- 

tratus. 

96.  *Ubdea    bipinnati- 

fida. 

97.  Verbesina  gigantea. 

98.  II        •verbasci- 

folia. 

99.  •Wigandia    macro- 

pbylla. 

100.  ..         Vigieri. 


it 


List  of  the  best  twenty -four  subtropical  plants. 


1.  Acacia  lopbantba. 

2.  Agave  americana. 
8.  Aralia  papyrifera. 
4.  Caladium     escnlen- 

turn. 


su- 


5.  Canna    Annei 

perba. 

6.  Cnamaerops  excelsa. 

7.  ,.  bumilis. 

8.  Cordyline  indivisa. 


9.  Cycas  revoluta. 

10.  Dracnna  Draco. 

11.  II        indivisa. 

12.  Ferdinandaeminens. 

13.  Ficoa  elastica. 


SUBTROPICAL  PLANTS  FOR  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.      209 


14.  Melianthns  major. 

15.  Mnsa  Enseto. 

16.  Phonniam  tenax. 

17.  Polynmia  grandis. 

18.  Bicious  communis. 


19.  Seafortbia  elegans. 

20.  Solatium     margina- 

tam. 

21.  ,.   Warecewiczii. 


It 


22.  IJlidea  bipinnatifida. 

23.  Verbesina  gigantea. 

24.  Wigandia       macro- 

pbjlla. 


Subtropical  plants  that  may  be  raised  from  seed. 

The  best  and  readiest  way  to  get  up  a  stock  of  these 
plants  is  by  raising  them  from  seeds.  Annuals^  like  the 
Castor-oil  plants  must  of  course  be  raised  from  seeds  in  any 
case ;  but  a  number  of  the  very  finest  perennial  kinds  may 
also  be  raised  thus  with  great  facility  and  pleasure  to  the 
raiser^  in  time  quick  enough  to  satisfy  ordinary  patience. 
And  of  those  which  cannot  soon  be  grown  to  a  presentable 
size  from  seeds  like  Palms,  Dracsenas,  &c.,  it  is  yet  very 
desirable  to  raise  a  batch,  inasmuch  as  permanent  dignified 
subjects  like  these  are  always  of  a  greater  value  in  any 
stage  of  their  existence  than  the  perishable  rapid-growing 
subjects  so  usual  with  us.  All  the  following  have  been 
ofiered  in  recent  seed  catalogues  : — 


Abutflon,  in  variety. 
Acacia  lopbantha. 
Andropogon      bombyci- 
nu8. 

„  formosus. 

„  Sorghum. 

Aralia  aostralis. 
elegans. 


ft 
ft 

It 


papyrifera. 
Sieb<" 


)oldi. 
trifoliata. 
Areca  sapida. 
Artemesia  argentea. 
Bambusa  bimalaica. 
Bocconia  cordata. 
formosa. 
fnitescens. 
japonica. 
macrophylla. 
Brngmansia,  in  variety. 
Canna,  in  profuse  variety. 
Cassia  corymbosa. 
„     floribunda. 
CbamiBpeuceCassabonse . 
,,  diacantba. 

Cbamnropsbumilis. 

„  „  glauca. 

I,         macrocarpa. 
Cineraria  platanifolia. 


II 
II 
II 


ft 
It 
tt 
It 


It 
II 
It 


Cordyline  indivisa  vera. 

nutans     „ 

superbicus. 

Veitchii. 
Corypha  auatralis. 
Cyperus  vegetus. 
Daolia  imperialis. 
Eriantbus  Ravennss. 
„        violacens. 
Erytbrina  cafira. 

crista-galli. 

Henderson!. 

laurifolia. 
Eucalyptus  globulus. 
Ferdinanda  eminens. 
Grevillea  robusta. 
Hedycbium    Gardneria- 

num. 
Humea  elegans. 
Latania  borbonica. 
Meliantbus  major. 
,,         minor. 
Musa  Enseto. 
Nicotiana  erandiflora,  a 
variety  of  N.  tabacum. 
„        wi^ndioides. 
Owenia  cerasifera. 
Paratropia  tomentosa. 


Paratropia  vennloa^t. 
Phormium  tenax. 
Phytolacca  dioica. 
Polymnia  grandis. 
Kicinus,  in  variety. 
Seafortbia  elegans. 
Solanum  acantho- 
carpum. 

auriculatnm. 

giganteum. 

glaucophyllum. 

dutinosum. 

lanceolatum. 

macrocarpum. 

macrophyllmn. 

marginatum. 

pyracanthum. 

robustum. 

verbascifolium. 
Sonchus  pinnatus. 
Sparmaunia  africana. 
Undea  bipinnatifida. 
Verbesina  verbascifolia. 
Wigandia  macrophylla. 
„        urens. 
„        Vigieri. 
Zea  japonica  variegata, 
and  others. 


II 
II 
II 
II 
II 
II 
It 
II 
II 
II 
11 


210 


CHAPTER  XI. 

HARDY   PLANTS   FOR   THE    SUBTROPICAL    GARDEN. 

This  is  a  most  important  subject^  and  concerns  every  lover 
of  gardening  in  the  British  Isles ;  for^  however  few  can  in- 
dulge in  the  luxury  of  rich  displays  of  tender  plants,  or 
however  rare  the  spots  in  which  they  may  be  ventured  out 
with  confidence,  all  may  enjoy  those  that  are  hardy,  and 
that  too  with  infinitely  less  trouble  than  is  required  by  the 
tender  ones.  Those  noble  masses  of  fine  foliage  first  dis- 
played to  us  by  tender  plants  have  done  much  towards 
correcting  a  false  taste.  What  I  wish  to  impress  upon  the 
reader  is,  that  in  whatever  part  of  these  islands  he  may  live 
he  need  not  despair  of  producing  sufficient  similar  efiect  to 
vary  his  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground  beautifully  by  the 
use  of  hardy  plants  alone ;  and  that  the  noble  lines  of  a 
well-grown  Yucca  recurva,  or  the  finely  chiselled  yet  fern- 
like  spray  of  a  graceful  young  conifer,  will  aid  him  as  much 
in  this  direction  as  anything  that  grows  either  in  tropical 
or  subtropical  climes.  The  herbaceous  collections  in  the 
Jardin  des  Plantes  are  very  full,  and  correctly  kept ;  and, 
being  much  devoted  to  such  plants,  I  rarely  spent  a  week 
without  visiting  them,  chiefly  to  discover  useful  members  of 
this  class ;  while,  of  course,  such  as  are  used  in  the  various 
public  parks  and  gardens  also  came  repeatedly  under  my 
observation.  Of  their  relative  importance  and  value  I  was, 
perhaps,  the  better  prepared  to  judge  from  having  visited 
for  like  purposes  all  the  botanic  gardens  in  the  British  Isles 
within  the  past  few  years.  The  following  is  the  result  of 
my  observations  as  to  the  finest  subjects  we  can  use : — 

Acanthus  latifolius. — ^This  is  a  plant  that  anybody  can 
grow,  and  which  is  in  all  respects  fine.  The  leaves  are  bold 
and  noble  in  outline^  and  the  plant  has  a  tendency,  rare  in 


HARDY   PLANTS   fOE   THE    SDBTEOPICAL   GARDBIf.   211 


some  hardy  thin^  witb  otherwise  fine  qualities,  to  retain 
its  leaves  till  the  end  of  the  season  without  losing  a  particle 
of  its  freshness  and  polished  verdure.  la  fact,  the  only  thing 
we  hare  to  decide  about  this  subject  is,  Tvhat  is  the  best 
place  for  it  ?  Now,  it  is  one  of  those  things  that  will  not 
disgrace  any  position^  and  will  prove  equally  at  home  in  the 
centre     of      the 

mixed        border,  ^'°-  ^''■ 

projected  a  little 
from  the  edge  of 
a  choice  shrub- 
bery in  the  grass, 
or  in  the  6ower 
garden ;  nobody 
need  fear  its  dia- 
playing  anything 
like  the  seediness 
which  such  things 
as  the  Heracleums 
show  at  the  end 
of  Slimmer.  In 
fact,  few  things 
turned  out  of  the 
honses  will  iiir- 
nish  a  more  satis- 
factory effect.  I 
should  not  like 
to  advise  its  being 
planted  in  thecen- 
tre  of  aflowerbed, 
or  in  any  other 
position  where  re- 
moval would  be 
necessary ;  but  in  case  it  were  determined  to  plant  permanent 
groups  of  fine-leaved  hardy  plants,  then  indeed  it  could  be 
used  with  great  success.  Supposing  we  have  an  irregular  kind 
of  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground  to  deal  with  (a  common 
case  everywhere),  one  of  the  best  things  to  do  with  it  is  to 
plant  it  in  the  grass,  at  some  little  distance  from  the  clompa, 
P2 


Acanthiu  latitbliuii  (tuBitauicuBj. 


212  HARDT  PLANTS   FOR  THE 

and  perhaps  near  a  few  other  things  of  like  character.  It 
is  better  than  any  kind  of  Acanthus  hitherto  commonly 
cultivated  in  botanic  gardens,  though  one  or  two  of  these 
are  fine.  Give  it  deep  good  soil,  and  do  not  grudge  it  this 
attention,  because,  unlike  tender  plants,  it  will  not  trouble 
you  again  for  a  long  time.  A  fine  eflPect  would  be  produced 
by  a  ring  of  it  around  a  strong  clump  of  Tritomas  (grandis 
in  the  middle,  and  glaucescens  surrounding  it),  the  very 
dark  polished  green  Acanthus  being  in  its  turn  surrounded 
by  the  fine  autumn-flowering  Sedum  spectabile.  There 
would  be  little  diflSculty  in  suggesting  a  dozen  equally  suit- 
able uses  for  this  fine  plant.  It  is  to  be  had  now  in  some 
London  nurseries,  and  in  nearly  every  Paris  one.  The  plant 
best  known  by  this  name  is  also  sold  under  that  of  A. 
lusitanicus.  Both  are  garden  names,  the  first  the  best.  It 
came  into  cultivation  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris  about 
six  or  eight  years  ago,  and  has  since  spread  about  a  good  deal. 
Nobody  seems  to  know  from  whence  it  came.  Probably  it 
is  a  variety  of  Acanthus  mollis.  The  plant  itself  varies  a 
good  deal ;  I  have  seen  specimens  of  it  about  a  foot  high, 
with  leaves  comparatively  small  and  stiff  and  rigid,  as  if 
cast  in  a  mould,  by  the  side  of  others  of  thrice  that  de- 
velopment, and  of  the  usual  texture. 

Andropogon  squarrosum  is  a  hardy  plant  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Paris,  or  survives  with  but  slight  protection, 
making  luxuriant  tufts  seven  feet  high  or  more,  when  in 
flower.  It  would  probably  make  a  beautiful  object  in  the 
warmer  and  milder  parts  of  England  and  Ireland,  and  in 
good  soil,  but,  unlike  the  preceding,  it  is  not  a  subject  which 
can  with  confidence  be  recommended  for  every  garden.  But 
all  who  value  fine  grasses  should  try  it. 

Aralia  edulis. — ^This  is  a  vigorous  plant,  well  suited 
for  adding  distinction  to  those  positions  in  which  we  desire 
a  luxuriant  type  of  vegetation.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  grows 
six,  seven,  and  even  eight  feet  high  in  good  soil,  is  of  a  fresh 
and  vigorous  habit,  and  even  so  early  as  the  end  of  June. 
The  leaves  attain  a  length  of  nearly  a  yard  when  the  plant 
is  strong,  while  the  shoots  droop  a  little  with  their  weight, 
and  thus  it  acquires  a  slightly  weeping  character.     It  is  a 


BUBTEOFICAL   GARDEN. 


213 


little  carious  that  plants  so  famoas  for  their  medicinal  or 
other  OSes  as  the  Castor-oil,  the  Chinese  rice-paper,  and  the 
Indian-Tubher  plants,  should  have  become  so  useful  as  orna- 
ments in  the  garden.  For  this  edible  Araha  we  may  claim  aa 
high  a  position  as  a  hardy  plant,  and  for  planting  singly  few 
things  surpass  it.  It  is  very  rare  in  this  country  now,  but 
being  easily  propagated,  may,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  not  long 
prove  so.  I  have  seen  it  nine  feet  high ;  but  aa  it  dies  down 
rather  early  in  autumn  it  must  not  be  put  in  important 
groups,  but  rather  in  a  position  where  its  disappearance  may 
not  be  noticed.  An  isolated  place,  or  one  near  the  mai^n 
of  an  irregular  shrubbery,  fernery,  or  rough  rockwork  by 
the  side  of  a  wood  walk,  will  best  suit. 

Aralia  japonica. — ^A  hardy  woody  species,  and  fine  plant 
for  varying  the  garden,  bearing  immense  and  graceful  leaves, 
and  delighting  moat  in  a  warm  and  sheltered  position — 
plenty  of  sun,  but  little  exposure  to  wind.  It  is  best  when 
the  stem  is  rather  short  and  simple,  and  has  an  advantage 
that  few  things  of  the  kind  possess — it  may  be  used  with  a 
stem  of  considerable  height,  or  with  a  very  dwarf  one. 

AnALiA  SFINOSA,  the  angelica  tree  of  North  America,  and 
resembling  the  preceding,  is  highly  useful  in  this  claes,  in 
consequence  of  its 

Pin.  77. 


214  HARDY  PLANTS  FOR  THE 

Akalia  Sieboldi  is  also  a  valuable  species,  usually  treated 
as  a  greenhouse  plant.  It  is  perfectly  hardy  around  Paris 
and  London,  at  least  on  warm  soils,  and  it  not  only  remains 
healthful  in  Uving  rooms  during  winter,  but  grows  freely  in 
them. 

Arundo  donax,  the  great  reed  of  the  south  of  Europe,  is 
a  very  noble  plant  on  good  soils.  In  the  south  of  Eng- 
land it  forms  canes  ten  feet  high,  and  has  a  very  distinct 
and  striking  aspect.  It  will  do  more  than  that  if  put  in  a 
rich  deep  soil  in  a  favoured  locality ;  and  those  who  so  plant 
clumps  of  it  on  the  turf  in  their  pleasure  grounds  will  not 
be  disappointed  at  the  result.  Nothing  can  be  finer  than 
the  aspect  of  this  plant  when  allowed  to  spread  out  into  a 
mass  on  the  turf  of  the  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground.  It 
seems  much  to  prefer  dry  sandy  soils  to  moist  ones ;  indeed, 
I  have  known  it  refuse  to  grow  on  heavy  clay  soil,  and 
flourish  most  luxuriantly  on  a  deep  sandy  loam  in  the  same 
district.  Like  all  large-leaved  plants,  it  loves  shelter.  No 
garden  or  pleasure  ground  in  the  southern  parts  of  England 
and  Ireland  should  be  without  a  tuft  of  it  in  a  sheltered  spot. 
But,  fine  as  it  is  for  eflbct  and  distinctness,  its  variegated 
variety  is  of  more  value  to  the  flower  garden  proper. 

Arundo  donax  versicolor. — This  is  a  remarkably  efiec- 
tive  and  beautiful  plant,  that  is  made  little  or  no  use  of. 
We  have  already  noticed  several  fine  things  for  grouping 
together,  or  for  standing  alone  on  the  turf  and  near  the 
margin  of  a  shrubbery  border ;  and  this  is  as  well  suited 
for  close  association  with  the  choicest  bedding  flowers  as  an 
Adiantum  frond  is  with  a  bouquet.  It  will  be  found  hardy 
in  the  southern  counties ;  and  considerably  north  of  London 
may  be  saved  by  a  little  mound  of  cocoa-fibre,  sifted  coal 
ashes,  or  any  like  material  that  may  be  to  spare.  In  con- 
sequence of  its  efiective  variegation,  it  never  assumes  a  large 
development,  like  the  green  or  normal  form  of  the  species, 
but  keeps  tidy  and  low,  and  yet  thoroughly  graceful.  It  is 
of  course  suited  best  for  warm,  free,  and  good  soils,  and 
abhors  clay,  though  it  is  quite  possible  to  grow  it  even  on 
that  with  a  little  attention  to  the  preparation  of  the  ground. 
But  it  is  in  all  cases  better  to  avoid  things  that  will  not 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  215 

grow  freely  and  gracefully  on  whatever  soil  we  may  have  to 
deal  with ;  and  it  is  to  those  having  gardens  on  good  sandy 
soils,  and  in  the  warmer  parts  of  England,  that  I  would 
48pecially  recommend  this  grand  variegated  subject.  For  a 
centre  to  a  circular  bed,  nothing  can  surpass  it  in  the 
summer  and  autumn  flower  garden,  while  of  course  many 
other  charming  uses  may  be  made  of  it.  Not  the  least 
happy  of  these  would  be  to  plant  a  tuft  of  it  on  the  green 
grass,  in  a  warm  spot,  ne^r  a  group  of  choice  shrubs,  to 
help,  with  many  other  things  named,  to  fill  up  the  gap 
between  ordinary  fleeting  flowers,  and  the  taller  shrub  and 
tree  vegetation  that  is  now  nearly  everywhere  observed.  It 
is  better  to  leave  the  plant  in  the  ground,  in  a  permanent 
position,  than  to  take  it  up  annually.  Protect  the  roots  in 
the  winter,  whether  it  be  planted  in  the  middle  of  a  flower 
bed  or  by  itself  in  a  little  circle  on  the  grass. 

Arundo  conspicua  is  a  worthy  companion  for  the  Pam- 
pas, though  by  no  means  equal  to  it,  as  has  been  stated  by 
some  writers.  As  a  conservatory  subject  it  is  fine  in  flower, 
and  it  will  be  seen  often  in  large  conservatories  after  a  few 
years.  A  large  pot  or  tub  will  be  necessary  if  grown 
indoors.  The  drooping  leafage  will  always  prove  graceful, 
and  then  it  sends  up  long  silvery  plumes,  drooping  also,  and 
strikingly  beautiful.  Judging  by  its  diff'erent  appearance 
when  freely  grown  in  a  tub  indoors,  and  when  planted  out 
even  pn  favourable  spots,  my  impression  is  that  it  by  no 
means  takes  so  kindly  to  our  northern  climate  as  the 
Pampas  grass.  However,  it  is  well  worth  growing,  even  in 
districts  where  it  does  not  attain  great  development;  it 
comes  in  flower  before  the  Pampas,  and  may  be  considered 
as  a  sort  of  forerunner  of  that  magnificent  herb. 

Bambusa  viridis-glaucescens,  and  others. — I  wish  to  call 
the  attention  of  all  horticulturists  who  live  in  the  southern 
and  more  favoured  parts  of  these  islands  to  the  fact  that 
there  are  several  bamboos  and  bamboo-like  plants  from 
rather  cool  countries  that  are  well  worth  planting.  Nothing 
can  exceed  the  grace  of  a  bamboo  of  any  kind  if  freely 
grown ;  but  if  starved  in  a  dirty  hot-house,  or  grown  in  a 
cold  dry  place,  where  the  graceful  shoots  cannot  arch  forth 


216 


HAKDT   PLANTS    FOK    THE 


in  all  their  native  beanty-,  notMog  can  be  more  miserable  in 
aspect.  On  cold  bad  soils  and  exposed  dry  places  in  the 
British  Isles,  these  bamboos  hare  little  chance ;  butj  on  the 
other  hand,  they  will  be  fonnd  to  make  most  graceful 
objects  in  many  a  sheltered  nook  in  the  soatb  and  sonth- 


BamloM 


western  parts  of  England  and  Ireland.  Nowadays  there  is 
a  growing  taste  for  something  else  tlian  mere  colour  in  the 
flower  garden,  and  these  will  in  many  cases  be  found  a 
graceful  help.  We  have  some  knowledge  of  the  capabilities 
of  one  kind  in  this  country.     In   a  well  sheltered  moist 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  217 

spot  at  Bicton  many  have  seen  Bambusa  falcata  send  up 
young  shoots^  long  and  graceful^  like  the  slenderest  of 
fishing-rods^  while  the  older  ones  were  branched  into  a 
beautiful  mass  of  light  foliage  of  a  distinct  type.  The  same 
plant  has  been  grown  in  the  county  of  Cork  to  a  height  of 
nearly  twenty  feet.  This  is  the  best  known  kind  we  have. 
At  Paris  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  observe  several  other 
kinds  doing  very  well  indeed^  although  the  climate  is  not  so 
suitable  as  that  of  Cork  or  Devon.  These  are  Bambusa  edulis^ 
aurea^  nigra^  Simmonsii^  mitis^  Metake,  and  viridis-glauces- 
cens^  the  first  and  last  of  this  group  being  very  free  and  good. 
All  the  others  will  prove  hardy  in  the  south  of  England  and 
Ireland^  though^  as  some  of  them  have  not  yet  been  tried 
there,  it  requires  the  test  of  actual  experiment.  Those  who 
wish  to  begin  cautiously  had  better  take  B.  Simmonsii, 
viridis-glaucescens,  nigra,  and  edulis  to  commence  with,  as 
they  are  the  most  certainly  hardy,  so  far  as  I  have  observed. 
The  best  way  to  treat  any  of  these  plants,  obtained  in 
summer  or  autumn,  would  be  to  grow  them  in  a  cool  frame 
or  pit  till  the  end  of  April,  then  harden  them  off"  for  a  fort- 
night or  so,  and  plant  out  in  a  nice  warm  spot,  sheltered  also^ 
with  good  free  soil — taking  care  that  the  roots  are  carefully 
spread  out,  and  giving  a  good  free  watering  to  settle  the  soU. 
There  are  no  plants  more  worthy  of  attention  than  these  where 
the  climate  is  at  all  favourable,  and  there  are  numerous  moist 
nooks  around  the  British  Isles  where  they  will  be  found  to 
grow  most  satisfactorily.  The  pretty  little  Bambusa  For- 
tunei  is  also  hardv. 

Among  the  Centaureas  there  are  a  few  subjects  which 
might  be  used  among  hardy  fine-leaved  plants,  but  by  far 
the  most  distinct  and  remarkable  is  the  very  silvery-leaved 
C.  babylonica.  This  is  quite  hardy,  and  when  planted  in 
good  ground  shoots  up  strong  spikes  clad  with  yellow  flowers 
to  a  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet.  The  bloom  is  not  by  any 
means  so  attractive  as  the  leaves ;  but  the  plant  is  at  all 
times  picturesque. 

Beta  cicla  var.  ("Chilian  Beet''). — Under  the  name 
''  Chilian  Beef'  a  very  showy  plant  may  have  been  seen  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Paris  during   the  past  two  years. 


HABDT  PLANTS  FOR  THE 


When  Tell  grown  tlie  leaves  are  oflen  more  tlian  a  yard 
long,  and  present  a  vivid  and  most  striking  coloration. 
Tlieir     midribs    reach 
^'"■'9.  four   inches   or    more 

acrosSj  and  vary  from  a 
dark  deep  waiy  orsnge 
to  vivid  polished  crim- 
Boa.  The  splendid  hue 
of  the  lower  part  of  the 
leaf  stalks  flows  on  to- 
wards the  point,  and 
spreads  in  smaller 
streams  through  the 
main  veins  and  ramifi- 
cations of  the  great  soft 
blades  of  the  leaf,  often 
a  foot  and  even  fifteen 
inches  in  diameter,  if 
the  plant  be  in  rich 
gronnd.  The  under 
sides  of  the  leaves  are 
the  most  richly  colom-- 
ed,  and  the  habit  such 
that  these  sides  are  well 
seen.  It  requires  the 
treatment  of  an  annual 
— to  be  raised  in  a 
gently  heated  frame, 
and  afterwards  planted 
out  in  very  rich  ground, 
though  it  may  also  be 
kept  over  the  winter  in  pots.  It  varies  a  good  deal  &om 
seed,  and  the  most  striking  individuals  should  be  selected 
before  the  plants  are  put  out.  Used  sparingly,  its  effect 
would  perhaps  be  more  telling  than  if  in  quantity,  and  it  is 
well  suited  for  isolation — that  is  to  say,  placing  singly  on  the 
grass  near  a  clump  of  shrubs.  Everybody  who  values  a 
really  distinct  object  in  the  flower  garden  should  have  it. 
Daring  the  past  season  it  attained  splendid  dimensions  and 


Centnunu  babjk 


SDBTBOPICAL   6AEDEN. 


219 


colouring  in  the  nursery  departmeot  of  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes,  and  it  doubtless  will  soon  be  seen  everywhere 
with  ua. 

ChamiBBOPS  excblsa. — It  may  not  be  generally  known 
that  this  palm  is  perfectly  hardy  iu  this  countiy.  A  plant 
of  it  in  her  Majesty's  gardens  at  Osborne  has  attained  a 
considerable  height.  It  is  also  out  at  Kew,  though  pro- 
tected in  winter.     On  the  water  side  of  the  high  moond  in 


the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent'a  Park,  it  is  in  even 
better  health  thau  at  Kew,  though  it  has  not  had  any  pro- 
tection for  years,  and  stood  the  fearfully  hard  frost  of 
1860.  If  small  plants  of  this  are  procured,  it  is  better  to 
grow  them  on  freely  for  a  year  or  two  in  the  greenhouse, 
and  then  turn  out  in  April,  spreading  the  roots  a  little  and 
giving  deep  loamy  soil.  Plant  in  a  sheltered  place,  so  that 
the  leaves  may  not  be  injured  by  winds  when  they  get  lai^ 


220  HARDT   PLANTS   FOR   THE 

and  grow  up.  A  gentle  hollow^  or  among  shrubs  on  the 
sides  of  some  sheltered  glade^  will  prove  the  best  places. 
The  establishment  of  a  palm  among  oiur  somewhat  mono- 
tonous shrubbery  and  garden  vegetation  is  surely  worthy 
of  a  little  trouble,  and  the  precautions  indicated  will  prove 
quite  sufficient. 

Crambb  cordifolia. — ^This  is  unquestionably  one  of  the 
finest  of  perfectly  hardy  and  large-leaved  herbaceous  plants. 
It  is  as  easily  grown  as  the  common  Seakale — easier^  if 
anything;  and  in  heavy  rich  ground  makes  a  splendid  head 
of  leaves,  surmounted  in  summer  by  a  dense  spray  of  very 
small  flowers.  Doubtless,  if  these  be  pinched  off,  a  larger 
development  of  the  fine  glossy  leaves  may  be  expected,  but 
as  the  shoots  are  so  vigorously  shot  up  and  converted  into 
a  distinct  and  pretty  inflorescence,  many  will  prefer  to 
"  leave  the  plant  to  nature.''  In  planting  it,'^the  deeper 
and  richer  the  soil,  the  finer  the  result.  It  will  prove  a 
capital  thing  for  every  group  of  fine-leaved  hardy  plants, 
and  may  also  be  planted  wherever  a  bold  though  low 
type  of  vegetation  is  desired.  There  is  another  species, 
C.  juncea,  which  is  also  effective,  but  not  so  valuable  as 
C.  cordifolia. 

.  CucuMis  FERENNis  (Perennial  Cucumber). — This  has  not 
the  quality  of  leaf  which  we  could  desire,  but  it  will  prove 
interesting  to  many.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  possesses, 
so  to  speak,  great  trailing  power.  Its  leaves  are  strong, 
rough,  and  of  a  glaucous  colour ;  and  the  shoots  run  about 
freely  if  the  plant  be  in  very  rich  soil.  Where  bold  trailing 
plants  for  high  trellis-work,  or  rough  banks,  or  shaggy 
rockwork  are  desired,  it  will  be  foimd  distinct ;  but  withal 
we  cannot  give  it  a  place  in  the  front  rank,  and  the  small 
select  garden  without  any  of  the  above-mentioned  appen- 
dages will  certainly  be  better  without  it.  For  the  botanical 
garden  and  curious  collections  it  is  indispensable.  It  is 
strong  and  lasting  when  well  established,  and  may  be 
allowed  to  fall  over  rough  banks,  stumps,  or  be  trained  up 
trellis-work,  &c. 

Datisca    cannabina.  —  The    male    plant   of   this    has 
long  been  known  as  a  very  strong  and  effective  herb — 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  221 

graceful  too ;  but  I  saw  female  plants  associated  with  males 
for  the  first  time  in  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  and  since  then 
I  have  a  higher  opinion  of  the  species.  The  female  plant 
remains  green  much  longer  than  the  male^  and  being  pro- 
fusely laden  with  fruity  each  shoot  droops  and  the  whole 
plant  improves  in  aspect.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  in  any 
selection  of  hardy  plants  of  free  growth  and  imposing 
aspect.  From  seed  will  probably  be  found  the  best  way  to 
raise  it,  and  then  one  would  be  pretty  sure  of  securing 
plants  of  both  sexes. 

Elymus  arenarius. — This  wild  British  'grass — a  strong- 
rooting  and  most  distinct-looking  herb — is  capable  of  adding 
a  striking  feature  to  the  garden  here  and  there,  and  should 
be  quickly  introduced  to  civilization.  Planted  a  short  dis- 
tance away  from  the  margin  of  a  shrubbery,  or  on  a  bank 
on  the  grass,  and  allowed  to  have  its  own  way  in  deep  soil^ 
it  makes  a  most  striking  object.  In  short,  it  deserves  to 
rank  fourth  among  really  hardy  big  grasses,  the  Pampas 
and  the  two  Arundos  alone  preceding  it.  I  am  not  quite 
certain  that  it  is  not  more  useful  than  the  Arundo,  being 
hardy  in  all  parts  of  these  islands.  In  very  good  soil 
it  will  grow  four  feet  high,  and  as  it  is  for  the  leaves  we 
should  cultivate  it,  if  the  flowers  are  removed  they  will  be 
no  loss.  It  is  found  frequently  on  our  shores,  but  more 
abundantly  in  the  north  than  in  the  south.  The  variety 
called  geniculatus,  which  has  the  spike  pendulous,  is  also 
worthy  of  culture,  and  in  its  case  the  flowers  may  prove  worth 
preserving.  It  may  possibly  be  useful  for  covert,  and  is 
certainly  so  for  rough  spots  in  the  pleasure  ground  and  in 
semi-wild  places. 

The  Ferulas. — I  wish  it  were  not  necessary  to  write  in 
praise  of  such  very  fine  plants  as  these,  so  noble  in  aspect 
and  beautiful  in  leaf.  If  you  grow  2000  kinds  of  herbaceous 
plants,  the  first  things  that  show  clearly  above  the  ground 
in  the  very  dawn  of  spring  (even  in  January)  are  their  deep 
green  and  most  elegant  leaves.  In  good  garden  soil  they 
look  like  masses  of  Leptopteris  superba,  that  most  exquisite 
of  ferns.  Their  chief  charm  will  probably  be  found  to 
consist  in  their  furnishing  masses  of  the  freshest  green  and 


2Z2  HAADT  PLANTS  FOR  THE 

highest  grace  in  early  spring.  The  leaf  is  apt  to  loae  some 
of  ita  beauty  and  fade  away  early  in  autumn,  but  this  may 
to  some  extent  be  retarded  by  cutting  out  the  flower- 
bearing  slioota  the  moment  they  appear.  Not  that  these 
are  ugly ;  for,  on  the  contrary,  the  plants  are  fine  and 
etriking  when  in  flover.  It  is  indispensable  that  the 
Femlas,  like  some  other  hardy  foliaged  plants,  be  planted 


permanently  and  well  at  first,  as  it  is  only  when  they  are 
thoroughly  established  that  you  get  their  full  eflect.  At  a 
first  view,  the  best  way  to  treat  them  would  appear  to  be, 
so  to  arrange  them  that  they  would  be  succeeded  by  things 
that  flower  in  autumn,  and  only  begin  their  rich  growth  in 
early  gammer ;  but  it  will  be  equally  wise  to  plant  them 
near  the  margin  of  a  shrubbery,  where  it  is  desired  to  have 
a  diTersified  and  bold  type  of  vegetation.     In  the  rougher 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  223 

and  more  solid  ground^  so  to  speak^  near  large  rockwork  or 
rootwork,  they  would  of  course  prove  grand.  The  Hera- 
cleums^  so  often  recommended  in  garden  literature  for 
planting  near  water,  &c.,  are  mere  coarse  rags  compared  to 
the  Ferulas,  while  the  Ferulas  may  be  used  in  the  places 
recommended  for  Heracleums.  We  may  look  forward  to 
the  day  when  a  far  greater  variety  of  form  will  be  seen  in 
English  gardens  than  is  at  present  observable,  and  these 
Ferulas  are  thoroughly  well  worth  growing  for  their  superb 
spring  and  early  summer  effect.  The  best  species  are 
F.  commimis,  tingitana,  and  neapolitana.  Probably  a  few 
others,  including  sulcata,  ferulago,  and  glauca,  may  with 
advantage  be  added  where  variety  is  sought,  but  the  effect 
of  any  of  the  first  three  cannot  be  surpassed.  Among 
"  aspects  of  vegetation^'  which  we  may  enjoy  in  these  cold 
climes,  nothing  equals  that  of  their  grand  leaves,  pushing 
up  with  the  snowdrop.  In  semi-wild  spots,  where  spring 
flowers  aboimd,  it  will  prove  a  most  tasteful  and  satisfac- 
tory plan  to  drop  a  Ferula  here  and  there  in  a  sunny  spot, 
and  leave  it  to  nature  and  its  own  good  constitution  ever 
afterwards. 

Gynerium  argenteum  (the  Pampas  Grass). — This  is  so 
well  known  to  the  reader  that  there  is  no  excuse  for  naming 
it  here,  except  the  opportunity  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the 
splendid  use  we  may  make  of  it  in  the  branch  of  gardening 
we  are  now  discussing.  It  is  to  the  Dublin  Botanic 
Gardens  we  owe  the  introduction  of  this  noble  plant,  now 
much  grown  in  every  country  where  ornamental  gardening 
is  pursued.  It  really  deserves  as  much  attention  as  any 
plant  in  cultivation,  and  yet  how  rarely  is  any  thorough 
preparation  made  for  its  perfect  development.  A  paltry 
class  of  tender  plants  may  cost  more  labour  and  time  in 
the  course  of  a  few  months  than  would  suffice  to  plant  a 
field  of  the  Pampas  grass,  yet  such  a  glorious  thing  as  this 
may  be  put  in  with  a  barrowful  of  mould  to  start  on  a  bad 
soil,  and  then  perhaps  planted  by  the  water  or  some  other 
secondary  spot  called  its  ''  proper  place.''  What  is  there 
growing  in  garden  or  in  wild  more  nobly  distinct  and 
beautiful  than  the  great  silvery  plumes  of  this  plant  waving 


224 


HABDT   PLA.NT3   FOR   THE 


in  the  automnal  gusts — ^the  bnriBl  plumes  as  it  were  of  onr 
Bommer  too  early  dead  ?  What  tender  plant  so  effective  aa 
this  in  giving  a  new  aspect  of  vegetation  to  our  gardens,  if 
it  be  tastefully  placed  and  well-grown  ?  Long  befbre  it 
flowers  it  possesses  more  merit  for  its  foliage  and  habit  than 
scores  of  things  cultivated  indoors  for  their  effect — Dasyli- 


rions,  &c,,  for  example,  and  it  would  be  well  worthy  of 
being  extensively  used  if  one  of  its  silken-crested  wands 
never  put  forth  in  autumn.  It  is  not  enough  to  place  it 
in  out-of-the-way  spots — the  general  scene  of  every  garden 
and  pleasure  ground  should  be  influenced  by  it ;  it  should 
be  planted  even  far  more  extensively  than  it  is  at  present, 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  225 

and  given  very  deep  and  good  soil  either  natural  or  made. 
The  soils  of  very  many  gardens  are  insufficient  to  give  it 
the  highest  degree  of  strength  and  vigonr,  and  no  plant 
better  repays  for  a  thorough  preparation^  which  ought  to 
be  the  more  freely  given  when  it  is  considered  that  the  one 
preparation  suffices  for  many  years.  If  convenient^  give  it  a 
somewhat  sheltered  position  in  the  flower  garden^  so  as  to 
prevent  as  much  as  possible  that  ceaseless  searing  away  of 
the  foliage  which  occurs  wherever  the  plant  is  much  ex- 
posed to  the  breeze.  We  rarely  see  such  fine  specimens  as 
in  quiet  nooks  where  it  is  pretty  well  sheltered  by  the 
surrounding  vegetation.  It  is  very  striking  to  come  upon 
noble  specimens  in  such  quiet  green  nooks ;  but^  as  before 
hinted^  to  leave  such  a  magnificent  plant  out  of  the  flower 
garden  proper  is  a  decided  mistake. 

Helianthus  oroyalis. — They  use  this  in  some  parts  of 
the  Continent  as  an  ornamental-leaved  plant  in  the  pleasure 
ground^  &c.  It  is  as  hardy  as  the  common  dandelion^ 
grows  to  a  considerable  height,  and  is  of  a  very  distinct 
habit.  Its  distinction  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  leaves 
are  recurved  in  a  peculiarly  graceful  manner.  At  the  top 
of  the  shoots,  indeed,  their  aspect  is  most  striking,  from 
springing  up  in  great  profusion  and  then  bending  gracefully 
down.  It  will  form  a  capital  subject  for  the  group  of  fine- 
leaved,  hardy  plants,  not  running  through  the  ground  and 
requiring  all  the  room  for  itself  to  spread  about.  As  it  is  apt 
to  come  up  rather  thickly,  the  cultivator  will  act  judiciously 
by  thinning  out  the  shoots  when  very  young,  so  that  those, 
which  remain  may  prove  the  stronger  and  the  better 
famished  with  leaves. 

The  Heracleums. — ^These  are  pretty  well  known  for  the 
rapid  vigour  and  great  size  of  their  herbaceous  vegetation ; 
but  they  are  as  a  rule  too  coarse,  and  decay  too  early  in 
summer,  to  be  used  in  the  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground. 
They  may,  however,  be  employed  with  advantage  where  a 
robust  and  picturesque  vegetation  is  desired  in  half  wild 
spots  on  islands,  and  for  furnishing  distant  effects. 

Hibiscus  roseus. — ^This  is  a  very  noble  hardy  perennial, 
growing  from  four  to  six  feet  high  about  Paris,  and  having 

Q 


226  HABDT  PLANTS   FOE  TBE 

the  upper  part  of  each  of  its  abundant  shoots  set  thickly 
with  buds  which  produce  flowers  fully  ux  inches  acroaa,  of 
a  showy  rose  colour,  with  straight  deeply  coloured  veins 
Tanning  irom  the  rich  dark  crimson  base  of  the  petals,  and 
gradually  becoming  lost  towards  the  margin.  There  is 
reason  to  think  it  thoroughly  hardy,  and  it  is  well  worth  a 
trial  in  good  soil  in  the  southern  and  milder  parts  of  Eng- 
land and  Ireland,     The  show  it  makes  in  autuma  is  really 

Fio.  83. 


Hcntcleum  fiuvoBCCDS. 

very  fine,  and  it  will  probably  be  found  a  grand  thing  for 
associatioQ  with  noble  autumn  flowers,  like  the  Tritoma  and 
Pampas  grass.  As  regards  leaf  effect,  it  is  scarcely  sub- 
tropical— to  use  again  that  awkward  term — and  should 
perhaps  be  classed  with  showy  herbaceous  plants ;  hut  as 
it  was  used  vith  pretty  good  effect  in   one  of  the   Paris 


SUBTROFICAI.  GABDBN. 


227 


parks,  I  name  it  here.     It  should  hare  a  warm  position,  and 
deep,  rich,  and  light  soil. 

Macleaya  cordata. — ^This  is  a  fine  plant  in  free  soil,  bat 
comparatively  poor  in  that  vhich  is  bad  or  very  stiff.  It 
is  quite  distinct  in  habit  and  tone,  and  sometimes  goes 
beyond  six  feet  high.  The  flowers  are  not  in  themselm 
pretty,  but  the  inflorescence  when  the  plant  is  well  grown 
baa  a  distinct  and  pleasing  appearance.  It  will  prove  a 
good  thing  for  associating  with  other  fine  hardy  plants 
suitable  for  making  bold  groups.  With  some  of  the  things 
before  named,  and  with  other  perfectly  hardy  plants,  there 
should  be  no  difficulty  in  prodncing  as  bold  and  striking 
groups  of  vegetation  as  any  ever  seen  either  with  us  or  in 
Paris,  and  afforded  by  costly  and  tender  exotics  requiring 
winter  protection. 

Melianthvs  major. — This  is  usually  treated  as  a  green- 
house plant,  and  is  sometimes  put  out  of  doors  in 
So  grown,  how- 
ever, the  fiill  35-10. 81. 
beauty  of  the 
plant  has  not  time 
to  develope ;  and 
much  the  better 
way  is  to  treat  it 
as  a  hardy  subject,  ^ 
putting  it  out 
some  sunny  and 
sheltered  spot, 
where  the  roots 
will  not  suffer 
firom  wet  in  win- 
ter. The  shoots 
will  be  cut  down 
with  frost,  but  the 
root  will  hve  and 
push  np  strong 
ones  in  spring, 
forming  by  midsummer  a  bush  of  very  distinct  and  beautifnl 
leaves.     I  have  grown  it  in  this  way  to  a  much  more  pre- 


MeltanthuB  ni^or. 


228 


HARDT   PLANTS   FOR  THE 


Fia.  85. 


sentable  condition  than  it  ever  assumes  indoors,  wbere  it  is 
nsnaUy  drawn  too  much.  I  used  to  protect  the  roots  in  winter 
by  placiDg  leaves  over  tbem,  and  then  coTering  all  with  a 
handlight,  but  bave  seen  tbe  plant  surrive  without  this  pre- 
caation.  It  is,  however,  best  to  make  quite  sure  by  using 
protection,  except  where  the  soil  and  climate  ate  parti- 
cularly favourable. 

MoLOFosFERHTTu  cicuTARiuH. — There  is  a  deep-green 
and  fernlike  beanty  displayed  profusely  by  some  of  the 
nmbelliferona  family,  but  I  have  rarely  met  with  one  so 
remarkably  attractive  as  this  species.  Many  of  the  class, 
vhile  very  elegant,  perish  quickly,  get  shabby  indeed  by 
the  end  of  June,  and  are  therefore  out  of  place  in  the 
tasteful  flower  garden ;  but  this  is  firm  in  cbaracter,  of  a 
dark  rich  green, 
stout  yet  spreadtug 
in  habit,  growing 
more  than  a  yard 
high,  and  making 
altogether  a  most 
pleasing  bush.  It  is 
perfectly  hardy,  a 
native  of  Camiola, 
easily  increased  by 
seed  or  division,  but 
very  rare  just  now. 
I  doubt  if  it  ia  even 
in  our  botanic  gar- 
dens, but  hope  to  see 
it  in  cultivation  ere 
long. 

Nicotian  A  ma- 
CROPHYLLA. — This  is 
simplyagarden  name 
for  a  fine  large  va- 
riety of  the  common 
Tobacco.  As  it  is  so 
readily  raised  from 
MicotUiumftcrophyiU.  seed,  and  grows  lusu- 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  229 

riantly  in  rich  soil,  I  need  not  say  it  is  a  very  desirable 
subject  for  association  with  the  Castor-oil  plant  and  the 
like,  and  especially  suited  for  the  many  who  desire  plants 
of  noble  habit,  but  who  cannot  preserve  the  tender  ones 
through  the  winter  under  glass.  The  flowers  are  very 
ornamental.  It  should  be  raised  on  a  hotbed,  and  put  out 
in  May. 

Panicum  bulbosum  is  a  tall  and  strong  grass,  with  a  free 
and  beautiful  inflorescence.  It  grows  about  five  feet  high^ 
and  the  flowers  are  very  gracefully  spread  forth.  It  forms 
an  elegant  plant  for  the  flower  garden  in  which  grace  and 
variety  are  sought;  for  dotting  about  here  and  there,  near 
the  margins  of  shrubberies,  &c. ;  and  indeed  for  the  sake  of 
its  flowers  alone.  P.  virgatum  is  also  a  good  bold  grass. 
Both  of  these  may  be  raised  from  seed,  and  are  well  worthy 
of  cultivation. 

Phytolacca  decandra. — The  true  plant  of  this  name 
forms  a  very  free  and  vigorous  mass  of  vegetation,  and, 
though  perhaps  scarcely  refined  enough  in  leaf  to  justify  its 
being  recommended  for  flower  garden  use,  no  plant  is  more  . 
worthy  of  a  place  wherever  a  rich  herbaceous  vegetation  is 
desired;  whether  near  the  rougher  approaches  of  a  hardy 
fernery,  open  glades  near  woodland  walks,  or  any  like 
positions. 

Polygonum  cuspidatum. — This  is  an  unusually  large 
herbaceous  species  of  a  genus  which,  as  cultivated  in  our 
botanical  collections,  does  not  appear  likely  to  aSbrd  an 
elegant  or  a  graceful  subject  for  our  gardens.  But  it  is 
one  of  the  best  hardy  things  which  can  be  recommended 
for  their  embellishment.  The  growth  is  rapid,  the  size 
unusual,  perhaps  eight  or  ten  feet  in  very  good  soil,  and  the 
bearing  of  the  plant  not  at  any  season  shabby.  It  is 
covered  with  flowers  in  autumn.  The  same  plant  is  often 
called  P.  Sieboldi,  and  frequently  sold  by  that  name. 
When  planted  singly,  and  away  from  other  subjects,  its 
head  assumes  a  rather  peculiar  and  pretty  arching  character, 
and  therefore  it  is  not  quite  fit  for  forming  centres  or  using 
in  groups,  so  much  as  for  planting  singly  on  the  turf,  there 
leaving  it  to  take  care  of  itself  and  come  up  year  after  year. 


230  HAEDY  PLANTS  K)B  THE 

In  this  way  it  TOuld  be  particularly  useiul  in  the  pleasure 
ground  or  dlTersified  English  flower  garden.  It  is  also 
good  for  any  position  in  ■which  a  bold  and  distinct  type 
of  vegetation  is  desired,  while  of  course,  when  we  come 
to  have  fine  groups  of  hardy  "  foliage  plants "  in  our 
gardensj  its  use  will  be  much  extended.     The  deeper  and 


better  the  soil,  the  finer  will  its  development  prove.  You 
cannot  make  the  soil  too  deep  and  good  if  you  want  the 
plant  to  assume  a  striking  character.  As  with  tender 
plants  we  have  no  end  of  attention  to  bestow,  often  daily, 
the  time  and  labour  necessary  to  well  prepare  the  ground 
for  a  hardy  subject  should  never  be  grudged.  This  plant 
will  probably  be  also  found  useful  for  game  covert.     It  is 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN.  231 

easily  procured  in  our  nurseries^  and  there  is^  or  used  to  be^ 
plenty  of  it  at  Kew. 

Bheum  Emodi. — The  Rhubarbs,  from  their  vigour  and  pic- 
turesqueness,  are  well  worthy  of  cultivation  among  hardy^ 
fine-leaved  plants.  Some  of  the  common  kinds  have 
recently  been  placed  in  our  parks,  but  the  most  striking 
and  distinct  of  the  introduced  kinds  is  the  Himalayan 
Blieum  Emodi,  and  it  is  the  one  that  is  seldomest  seen. 

Rhus  glabra  laciniata. — I  have  known  this  plant  for 
about  three  years  as  a  subject  of  much  promise  for  garden 
decoration,  and  can  confidently  recommend  it  as  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  elegant  dwarf  shrubs  we  can  employ  to 
furnish  an  attractive  efi*ect.  It  is  a  small  kind,  with  finely- 
cut  and  elegant  leaves,  the  strongest  being  about  a  foot  long 
when  the  plants  have  been  established  a  year  or  two. 
When  seen  on  a  nicely  established  plant,  these  leaves  com- 
bine the  beauty  of  those  of  the  finest  Grevillea,  with  a  fern 
firond,  while  the  youngest  and  unfolding  leaves  remind  one 
of  the  dainty  ones  of  a  finely  cut  umbelliferous  plant  in 
spring.  The  variety  observable  in  the  shape,  size,  and 
aspect  of  the  foliage  makes  the  plant  charming  to  look 
upon,  while  the  midribs  of  the  fully  grown  leaves  are  red, 
and  in  autumn  the  whole  glow  off  into  bright  colour  after  the 
fashion  of  American  shrubs  and  trees.  During  the  entire 
season  it  is  presentable,  and  there  is  no  fear  of  any  vicissi- 
tude of  weather  injuring  it.  Its  great  merit  is  that,  in 
addition  to  being  so  elegant  in  foliation,  it  has  a  very  dwarf 
habit,  and  is  thoroughly  hardy.  Plants  at  three  years  old 
and  undisturbed  for  the  past  two  years  are  not  more  than 
eighteen  inches  high.  The  heads  are  slightly  branched,  but 
are  not  a  whit  less  elegant  than  when  in  a  simple-stemmed 
and  young  state,  so  that  here  we  have  clearly  a  subject  that 
will  afford  a  charming  femlike  effect  in  the  full  sun,  and 
add  graceful  verdure  and  distinction  to  the  flower  garden. 
When  the  flowers  show  after  the  plant  is  a  few  years  old 
they  may  be  pinched  off,  and  this  need  only  be  mentioned 
in  the  case  of  permanent  groups  or  plantings  of  it.  To 
produce  the  effect  of  a  Grevillea  or  fern  on  a  small  scale,  we 
should  of  course  keep  this  graceful  Rhus  small,  and  propa- 


232  HARDT   PLANTS   FOR  THE 

gate  it  like  a  bedding  plant.  The  graceful  mixtures  and 
bouquet-like  beds  that  might  be  made  with  the  aid  of  such 
plants  need  not  be  suggested  here^  while  of  course  an  estab- 
lished plant,  or  groups  of  three^  might  well  form  the  centre 
of  a  bed.  Planting  a  very  small  bed  or  group  separately  in 
the  flower  garden^  and  many  other  uses  which  cannot  be 
enumerated  here,  will  occur  to  those  who  have  once  tried  it. 
Some  hardy  plants  of  fine  foliage  are  either  so  rampant  or  so 
top  heavy  that  they  cannot  be  wisely  associated  with 
bedding-plants.  This  is,  on  the  contrary,  as  tidy  and  tract- 
able a  grower  as  the  most  fastidious  could  desire.  It 
would  be  a  pity  to  put  such  a  pretty  plant  under  or  near 
rough  trees  and  shrubs.  Give  it  the  full  sun,  and  good 
free  soil. 

The  Tritomas. — So  hardy,  so  magnificent  in  colouring, 

and  so  fine  and  pointed  in  form  are  these  plants,  that  we 

can  no  more  dispense  with  their  use  in  the  garden  where 

beauty  of  form  as  well  as  colour  is  to  prevail,  than  we  can 

with  the  noble  Pampas  grass.    They  are  more  conspicuously 

beautiful  when  other  things  begin  to  succumb  before  the 

gusts   and  heavy  rains  of  autumn,  than  any  plants  which 

flower  in  the  bright  days  of  midsummer.    It  is  not  alone  as 

component  parts  of  large  back  ribbons  and  in  such  positions 

that  these  grand  plants  are  useful,  but  in  almost  any  part 

of  the  garden.     Springing  up  as  a  bold  close  group  on  the 

green  turf  and  away  from  brilliant?  surroundings,  they  are  more 

effective  than  when  associated  with  bedding  plants ;  and  of 

course   many  such  spots  may  be  found  for  them  near  the 

margins  of  the  shrubberies  in  the  generality  of  pleasure 

grounds.     It  is  as  an  isolated  group  flaming  up  amid  the 

verdure  of  trees  and  shrubs  and  grass  that  their  dignified 

aspect  and    brilliant    colour  are   seen    to  best   advantage. 

However,  tastefully  disposed  in  the  flower  garden,  they  will 

prove  generally  useful,  and  particularly  for  association  with 

the  finer  autumn-flowering  herbaceous  plants.     It  seems  we 

do  not  sufficiently  appreciate  the  advantage  of  good  hardy 

plants,  however  much  we  may  grumble  at  the  consumption  of 

coals.     Here  are  the  finest  of  all  autumnal  flowers,  never 

causing  a  farthing  of  expense  for  winterings  storings  or  re- 


SUBTROPICAL  OABDBK. 


Fio.  87. 


plantiDg,  but  merely  asking  for  alittle  ordinary  preparation  of 
the  Boil  at  first,and  yet  theyare  merelygrown  as  adjuncts  eveu 
in  good  gardens,  and  in 
many  you  can  scarcely 
find  them.  For  every 
quality  that  should 
make  a  plant  valuable 
in  the  eyes  of  the 
flower  gardener,  they 
cannot  bo  surpassed  by 
any  subjects  that  re- 
quire  expensive  care 
all  through  the  winter ; 
indeed  we  may  say  they 
cauQOt  be  equalled  by 
any  of  such — a  suffi- 
cient proof  that  it  is 
not  only  those  who 
possess  stoves,  grcen- 
houEcs,  and  glass-gar- 
dens, so  to  speak,  that 
may  enjoy  the  highest 
beauty  in  their  gardens. 

A  most  satisfactory  result  may  be  produced  by  asso- 
ciating these  Tritomas  with  the  Pampas  and  the  two 
Arundos,  the  large  Statice  latifolia,  and  the  strong  and 
beautiful  autumn-flowering  Anemone  japonica  alba.  This 
is  peculiarly  suited  for  association  with  hardy  herbaceous 
plants  of  fine  habit,  and  should  be  in  every  garden  where  a 
hardy  flower  is  valued. 

Verbascum  vernale. — Most  of  us  know  how  very  dis- 
tinct and  imposing  are  the  larger  Verbascums,  and  those 
who  have  attempted  their  culture  must  soon  have  found  out 
what  transient  far-seeding  things  they  are.  Of  a  biennial 
character,  their  culture  is  most  unsatisfactory :  they  either 
mieratc  into  the  adjoining  shrubbery  or  disappear  altogether. 
The  possession  of  a  thoroughly  noble  perennial  one  must 
therefore  be  a  desideratum,  and  such  a  plant  will  be  found 
in  the  Hungarian  Verbascum  vemale.     This  is  fine  in  leaf 


Anenmae  japonEci 


234  HARDT   PLANTS   POR   THE 

and  stature^  and  produces  abundance  of  flowers.  The  lower 
leaves  grow  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  long^  and  the  plant 
when  in  flower  to  a  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  or  even 
more  when  in  good  soil.  It  is  a  truly  distinct  subject  for 
helping  us  to  variety,  and  may,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  ere  long 
be  found  in  our  gardens  and  nurseries.  At  present  it  is  a 
scarce  plant  in  England,  and  perhaps  not  to  be  had  in 
many  of  our  nurseries  or  botanic  gardens,  though  it  is  cer- 
tainly the  best  known  plant  of  the  genus  to  us  in  cultiva- 
tion.    I  first  saw  it  in  the  Jardin  des  Flantes. 

The  Yuccas. — ^Among  all  the  hardy  plants  ever  introduced 
to  this  country,  none  surpass  for  our  present  purpose  the 
various  kinds  of  Yucca,  or  "  Adam's  Needle,''  as  it  is  some- 
times called.  There  are  several  species  hardy  and  well 
suited  for  flower  garden  purposes,  and,  more  advantageous 
still,  distinct  £rom  each  other.  The  effect  afforded  by  them, 
when  well  developed,  is  equal  to  that  of  any  hot-house  plant 
that  we  can  venture  in  the  open  air  for  the  summer,  while 
they  are  hardy  and  presentable  at  all  seasons.  They  may 
be  used  in  any  style  of  garden ;  may  be  grouped  together  on 
rustic  mounds,  or  in  any  other  way  the  taste  of  the  planter 
may  direct.  The  best  perhaps,  considering  its  graceful  and 
noble  habit,  is  Y.  pendula,  which  is  simply  invaluable  in 
every  garden.  Old  and  well  established  plants  of  it  standing 
alone  on  the  grass  are  pictures  of  grace  and  symmetry,  &om 
the  lower  leaves  which  sweep  the  ground  to  the  central  ones 
that  point  up  as  straight  as  a  needle.  It  is  amusing  to 
think  of  people  putting  tender  plants  in  the  open  air,  and 
running  with  sheets  to  protect  them  &om  the  cold  and  rain 
of  early  summer  and  autumn,  while  perhaps  not  a  giood 
specimen  of  this  fine  thing  is  to  be  seen  in  the  place.  There 
is  no  plant  more  suited  than  this  for  planting  between  and 
associating  with  flower  beds.  Next  we  have  Y.  gloriosa, 
more  pointed  in  habit  and  rigid  in  style,  and  also  large 
and  imposing  in  proportions.  Lacking  the  grace  of  pendula, 
it  makes  up  for  it  to  some  extent  by  boldness  of  effect, 
while,  like  the  preceding,  it  sometimes  sends  up  a  huge 
mass  of  flower.  Y.  gloriosa  varies  very  much  when  grown 
from  seed — a  good  recommendation,  as  the  greater  variety  of 


SUBTROPICAL   OAEDEN.  235 

fine  form  we  have  the  better.  Then  there  is  T.  glancesceoa, 
with  a  sea-green  fialiage,  and  rather  free  to  flower,  the  bads 
being  of  a  pink  tinge,  which  tends  to  give  the  whole  in- 
fiorescence  a  peculiarly  pleasing  tone.     This  is  a  first-class 


Yucca  peai^ala. 

plant.  Y.  filamentosa  is  smaller  than  these,  fant  one  which 
flowers  with  much  vigour  and  beauty.  It  is  well  worth 
cultivating  in  every  garden  ;  not  only  in  the  flower  garden 
cff  pleasure  ground,  but  also  on  the  rough  rockwork,  or  any 


236 


HARDT  PLANTS  FOR  TBB 


Spot  requiring  a  dktinct  type  of  hardy  vegetation,  and  so  is 
its  fine  thoDgb  delicate  variegated  variety.    Yncca  flaccida  is 
somewhat  in  the 
^-  89-  way  of  this,  but 

smaller.  It  fiow- 
ers  even  more 
abundantly  and 
regnlarly  than 
filamentosa,  and 
is  well  worthy  of 
cultivation.  The 
preceding  spe- 
cies, if  not  BO 
much  used  in  our 
gardens  aa  they 
deserve,  are  at 
all  events  known 
in  them.  The 
ibllowing  I  met  with  for  the  Erst  time  in  Parisian  gardens  ;— 


Yucca  GlitmeDlosa  ti 


-i«e«te. 


Y.  lutescens  is  a  species  of  neat  habit  and  slightly  yellowish 
tone  of  shining  green,  and  very  distinct,     Y.  flexilis  is  an 


SUBTROPICAL   GARDEN. 


237 


ornamental^  though  not  large  growing  kind.  Y.  striata  is  a 
rigid  species  scarcely  so  effective  as  the  preceding ;  and  Y. 
angnstifolia  has  narrow  pointed  leaves  and  a  distinct  habit. 
Y.  Treculeana  is  a  very  noble  species^  which  will  be  found 
perfectly  hardy  on  good  soil  and  in  warm  situations.  It  has 
deeply  furrowed  and  very  large  rigid  leaves,  and  is  well  worthy 
of  culture  even  in  a  cool  house,  in  which  it  is  sometimes  kept 
in  this  country.  If  we  had  but  this  family  alone,  our  efforts 
to  produce  an  agreeable  effect  with  hardy  plants  need  not 
be  fruitless.  The  freely  flowering  kinds,  filamentosa  and 
flaccida,  may  be  associated  with  any  of  our  nobler  autumn 
flowering  plants,  from  the  Gladiolus  to  the  great  Statice 
latifolia.  The  species  that  do  not  flower  so  often,  like 
pendula  and  gloriosa,  are  simply  magnificent  as  regards  their 
effect  when  grown  in  the  fiill  sun  and  planted  in  good  soil ; 
and  I  need  not  say  bold  and  handsome  groups  may  be 
formed  by  devoting  isolated  beds  to  this  family  alone.  They 
are  mostly  easy  to  increase  by  division  of  the  stem  and 
rhizome  ;  and  should  in  all  cases  be  planted  well  and  singly, 
beginning  with  healthy  young  plants,  so  as  to  secure  per- 
fectly developed  single-stemmed  specimens. 

List  of  Hardy  Herbaceotis  and  Annual  Plants,  ^c,  of  fine 
habit,  worthy  of  employment  in  the  flower  garden  or 
pleasure  ground. 


Acanthus,  several  spe- 
cies. 

Asclepias  sjriaca. 

8tatice  latifolia. 

Morina  longifolia. 

Polygonum  cuspidatum. 

Rheum  £modi,and  seve- 
ral other  species. 

Euphorbia  Cyparissias. 

Datisca  cannabina. 

Veratrum  album. 

Tritomas,  in  variety. 

Thalictrum  foBtidum. 

Crambe  cordi  folia. 

Althsa  taurinensis. 

Geranium  anemonaefo- 
lium. 

Melianthus  major. 

Panicum,  several  species. 


Spiraea  Aruncus. 
„      vcnuHta. 

Astilbe  rivularis. 
„      rubra. 

Eryngium,  several   spe- 
cies. 

Ferula,  several  species. 

Scseli,  „ 

Chamaerops  excelsa. 

Cucumis  pcrennis. 

Hibiscus  roseus. 

Rhus  glabra  laciniata. 

Artemisia  annua. 

Phytolacca  decandra. 

Centaurea  babylonica. 

Lobelia  Tupa. 

Pcucedanum  ruthenicum 

Heracleum,  several  spe- 
cies. 


Dipsacus  laciniatus. 
Altre  lia  cemua. 
Cynara  horrida. 

„      Scolymus. 
Carlina  acanthi  folia. 
Telekia  cordifolia. 
Echinops  exaltatus. 

„        ruthenicus. 
Helianthus    argyrophyl- 
lu3. 

„         orgyalis,  and 
others. 
Gunnera  scabra. 
Funkia  subcordata. 


II 


japonica. 
Tritoma,  m  varieties. 
Arando  Donax. 


If 


conspicua. 
Gynerium  argenteam. 


238    HABDY  PLANTS  FOB  THE  SUBTROPICAL   GABJ)£N. 


ISjiniiB  arenarim. 
Bambnsa,  several  species. 
Amndinaiia  falcata. 
Yucca,  seyeral  species. 
Yerbascmn  yemale. 
Aralia  spinosa. 


Alalia  JMxmica. 

,,    eaiilis. 
Macleaja  cordata. 
Panicom  bolbosum. 
„      Yirgatum. 
Kocma  scoparia. 


Datura  ceratocaola. 
Siljbum  ebomenin. 
„      marianum. 
Onopordon  Acantbiom. 
arabicom. 


t$ 


List  of  Hardy  Plants  of  fine  habit,  that  may  be  raised 

from  Seed. 

Among  suitable  hardy  plants  tliat  may  be  raised  firon 
seedj  the  following  are  offered  in  recent  seed  catalogues : — 


II 


Aoanthns  latifolins. 

mollis. 

spinosns. 
Artemisia  amma. 
Astilbe  rivnlaris. 
Campanolajpyramidalis. 
Cannabis  gigantea. 
Carlina  acanthifolia. 
Datnra  ceratocaola. 
Ecliinops,seyera1  species. 
Eryngium     bromelisefo- 
unm. 

campestrc. 

coelestinmn. 


II 
II 


Eryngiom  gigantenm. 
Femh  communis. 
„     tingitana. 
Gteraninm      anemonefo- 

lium. 
GuDnera  scabra. 
Gjnerinm  argentenm. 
Heliantbus   argyropbjl- 
lus. 
„         orgyalis. 
Heraclemn  eminens. 
II         gigantenm. 
„         platytaeniam. 
Eocbia  scoparia. 


Lobelia  Tnpa. 
Morina  longifolia. 
Onopordon  arabicum. 
„         tauricnm. 
Centanrea  babjlonica. 
Panicnm,  several  species 
Phytolacca  decano^. 
Salvia  argentea. 
Siljbnm  marianmn. 
„       ebnmenm. 
Statice  latifolia. 
Tritomas,  in  variety. 
Yucca,  several  species. 


239 


CHAPTER  XII. 

VERSAILLES. 

This  being  one  of  the  most  celebrated  gardens  in  the  world 
it  behoves  us  to  examine  it  somewhat  in  detail — were  we,how- 
ever,  to  treat  of  it  in  proportion  to  its  real  merits  as  a  garden, 
a  very  small  amount  of  space  would  suffice.  Let  us  pass 
through  the  vast  stone  courtyard  and  take  up  our  position 
near  the  garden  front  of  the  palace.  Standing  near  the  walls, 
looking  over  the  gardens,  and  following  the  vista  of  the 
canal  into  the  low  country  beyond,  the  eye  first  rests  on  a 
vast  spread  of  gravel,  some  marble  margins  of  great  water 
basins,  sundry  protuberances  from  the  level  of  the  water, 
and  away  in  the  distance  an  effect  like  that  afforded  by  a 
suburban  canal  in  a  highly  practical  and  unlovely  country. 
A  few  Lombardy  Poplars  help  this  remote  vista,  but  the 
effect  of  the  whole  is  from  this  point  of  view  lamentable. 
To  the  right  of  the  palace  there  is  a  rather  pleasing  garden, 
with  big  box-edgings,  clipped  conical  Yews  and  other  trees, 
and  numerous  statues  well  shown  against  dense  woods  of 
Horse-chestnut  trees.  To  the  left  there  is  one  of  those 
spreads  of  gravel,  grass,  a  few  stumpy  clipped  Yews,  &c., 
generally  known  as  geometrical  gardens,  the  Horse-chestnut 
groves  starting  up  rather  abruptly  and  relieving  the  whole 
so  as  to  render  it  tolerable.  Advancing  from  the  palace,  the 
lower  terrace  and  its  surroundings  come  into  view,  and  the 
effect  improves.  The  faces  of  the  terrace  walls  are  hedged 
with  green ;  the  flower  borders  are  somewhat  after  the 
fashion  of  those  at  the  Tuileries,  and  surrounded  by  a  line 
of  well-grown  Orange  trees.  Above  the  terrace  walk  Yew 
trees  are  planted  and  clipped  very  regularly ;  in  the  centre 
there  is  a  fine  and  costly  fountain,  and  the  dense  groves  of 
trees  near  at  hand  again  save  the  scene  fr^m  bald  formality, 


240  VERSAILLES. 

not  to  say  hideousness.  Versailles  is  a  vast  garden,  mucli 
of  its  interest  being  hidden  behind  these  kindly  groves  of 
trees,  but  we  have  about  here  the  broadest  effects  of  this 
far-famed  place,  and  may  judge  in  how  far  they  are  worthy 
of  the  praise  bestowed  on  them  and  of  our  admiration  or 
imitation. 

Versailles  is  held  up  by  the  French  and  others  as  the 
queen  of  geometrical  gardens,  and  however  this  position 
may  be  dissented  from,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  it  is  a  vast 
illustration  of  the  formal  school  of  gardening. 

There  are  in  books  many  dissertations  on  the  several 
styles  of  laying  out  gardens ;  indeed  some  have  ta^^^n  us 
to  China  and  Japan,  and  others  gone  into  Mexico  for  illus- 
tration; but  when  all  is  read  and  examined,  what  is  the 
result  to  anybody  who  looks  from  words  to  things  ?  That 
there  are  really  two  styles :  one  straitlaced,  mechanic^, 
fond  of  walls  or  bricks,  or  it  may  be  gravel ;  fond  also  of 
such  geometry  as  the  designer  of  wall  papers  excels  in,  often 
indeed  of  a  much  poorer  and  less  graceful  kind  than  that ; 
fond  too  of  squirting  water  in  an  immoderate  degree,  with 
trees  in  tubs  as  an  accompaniment,  and  perhaps  griffins  and 
endless  plaster  and  stone  work.  The  other,  with  true 
humility  and  right  desire,  though  often  awkwardly  and  blun- 
deringly, accepting  nature  as  a  guide,  and  endeavouring 
to  multiply,  so  far  as  convenience  and  poor  man-power  will 
permit,  her  most  charming  features. 

Mr.  Ruskin  teUs  us  that  '^  we  are  forced,  for  the  sake  of 
accumulating  our  power  and  knowledge,  to  live  in  cities : 
but  such  advantage  as  we  have  in  association  with  each 
other  is  in  great  part  counterbalanced  by  our  loss  of  fellow- 
ship with  nature.  We  cannot  all  have  our  gardens  now, 
n^^^ur  pleasant  fields  to  meditate  in  at  eventide.  Then 
the  iS^nction  of  our  architecture  is,  as  far  as  may  be,  to 
replace  these;  to  tell  us  about  nature;  to  possess  us  with 
memories  of  her  quietness ;  to  be  solemn  and  full  of  ten- 
derness, like  her,  and  rich  in  portraitures  of  her ;  full  of 
delicate  imagery  of  the  flowers  we  can  no  more  gather,  and 
of  the  living  creatures  now  far  away  from  us  in  their  own 
solitude.^' 


.-     "•,- 


k' 


V  .     "■  -r 


* 


VERSAILLES.  241 

What,  then,  are  we  to  think  of  those  who  carry  the  dead 
lines  and  changeless  triumphs  of  the  building  and  the  studio 
into  the  garden,  which,  above  any  other  artificial  creation, 
should  give  us  the  sweetest  and  most  wholesome  "  fellow- 
ship with  nature''? 

Simply  that  it  is  presumption  and  bad  taste,  founded 
upon  ignorance  of  what  a  true  garden  ought  to  be,  and  of 
knowledge  that  the  deadliest  thing  you  can  do  with  it  is  to 
introduce  any  feature  which,  unlike  the  materials  of  our  world- 
designer,  never  changes.  Away,  then,  with  the  wretched 
affectation  of  pretending  to  enjoy — away  with  the  ignorance 
which  asserts  or  blindly  believes  that  there  is  some  mys- 
terious and  occult  beauty  in,  or  necessity  for,  such  gardens 
as  this  ! 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  there  are  some  positions  where 
an  intrusion  of  architecture  and  embankments  into  the 
garden  is  justifiable — ^nay,  even  now  and  then  necessary ; 
but  the  misfortune  is  that  they  are  often  said  to  be  so  when 
such  is  not  the  case.  It  would  be  a  waste  of  space  to  quote 
the  nonsense  that  is  printed  and  urged  about  things  being 
'^in  keeping/' — the  necessity  of  making  an  architectural 
garden  associate  with  some  particular  style  of  building,  and  so 
on.  The  best  terrace  gardens  in  continental  countries  are 
those  built  where  the  nature  of  the  ground  most  calls  for 
them  and  usually  in  positions  where  the  ground  is  steep  and 
rugged ;  and  it  is  in  positions  most  like  these  that  they 
best  succeed,  and  are  most  wanted  in  this  country.  Why, 
then,  talk  of  "  congruity "  in  the  matter,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered right  to  place  the  most  geometrical  kind  of  garden 
in  the  spots  where  the  ground  is  most  picturesque  and  ir- 
regular ?  There  is  no  code  of  taste  resting  on  any  real 
foundation  which  proves  that  garden  or  park  should  have 
any  extensive  stonework  or  geometrical  arrangement.  Many 
instances  could  be  given  to  prove  that  the  natural  or  nearly 
natural  disposition  of  the  ground  is  far  preferable  to  the  great 
majority  of  expensive  mathematical  gardens. 

Among  other  not  often  urged  objections  to  great  expen- 
diture on  architectural  embellishments,  costly  fountains, 
and  statues,  instead  of  on  the  development  of  the  real  life  and 


242  VERSAILLES. 

interest  of  a  garden^  is  the  fact  that  outdoor  artistic  embel- 
lishment^ good  or  bad^  is  by  no  means  so  appropriate  in 
these  cool  and  gasty  climes  as  in  warmer  countries.  Where 
people  can  live  out  of  doors  the  greater  portion  of  the  year, 
and  where  the  winter  is  merely  a  pleasant  dry  kind  of 
atmospheric  tonic ;  where  the  native  can  dine  for  more  than 
half  the  year  in  a  bower  of  vines,  and  breathe  the  spices  of 
Orange  trees  and  Magnolias — in  the  south  of  Prance,  Spain, 
and  Italy,  and  all  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean — 
it  is  more  desirable  to  have  the  nude  form  in  marble  in  the 
open  air,  independently  of  the  fact  that  the  lichens  and 
moss  do  not  so  soon  begin  to  embellish  the  carving,  or 
grass  to  grow  out  of  its  interstices,  in  countries  near  the 
sun.  Leave  art  indoors — where,  unfortunately,  we  must 
content  ourselves  for  the  most  part — use  as  few  wall- 
paper patterns  and  as  little  stonework  as  possible  in  our 
jgardens,  and  arrange  them  so  that  when  our  sunny 
season  does  come  they  may  be  fiill  of  life  and  change, 
and  that  all  our  efforts  therein  may  tend  to  their  improve- 
ment  in  the  right  direction. 

In  discussing  this  phase  of  gardening  we  have  a  capital 
example  in  the  case  of  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  the  region  of 
the  great  fountain  basins,  where  a  more  horrid  impression 
is  received  than  in  any  part  of  Versailles,  though  the  upper 
terrace  at  the  Palace  illustrates  the  best  features  of  the 
system,  and  shows  as  well  as  anything  I  know  of  in  how 
far  it  may  be  safely  adopted  near  a  great  buUding.  But 
both  at  the  Palace  and  Versailles  the  vast  expense  for  a 
poor  theatrical  effect  is  not  the  most  regretful  of  present 
features ;  that,  perhaps — not  to  look  deeply  into  the 
blemishes  of  such  positions — is  the  dirty,  wide,  change- 
less water  basins,  with  their  squirting  pipes  and  perhaps 
crumbling  margins;  for  the  purse  that  creates  such  de- 
lights frequently  fails,  if  it  does  not  get  tired  of  expendi- 
ture that  never  produces  the  changeful  beauty  for  which 
the  heart  of  man  yearns.  To  me  there  is  nothing  more 
appalling  than  the  walls,  fountain  basins,  clipped  trees,  and 
long  canals,  &c.,  of  such  a  place  as  Versailles,  not  only  be- 
cause they  utterly  fail  to  satisfy  in  themselves,  but  inasmuch 


VERSAILLES.  243 

as  they  are  ever  accompanied  by  a  day-ghost  of  wasted 
effort— of  riches  worse  than  lost. 

In  connexion  with  the  Crystal  Palace  one  thinks  of 
ruined  shareholders ;  and  with  Versailles,  of  the  enormous 
sums  wrung  from  an  oppressed  people,  and  put  to  such  a 
miserable  use,  that  one  can  scarcely  regret  a  wild  blood- 
dance  of  revolution  came  and  put  an  end  to  it  all.  And 
this  was  the  kind  of  good  effected  with  the  money  so  hardly 
wrung  from  starving  millions  !  It  was  merely  burying 
wealth — indeed,  it  might  have  been  better  to  have  buried 
it,  for  many  would  prefer  the  naked  earth  to  these  gyra- 
tions, which  must  be  kept  in  repair  at  great  cost  or  they 
become  intolerable  even  to  their  builders  and  designers. 

When  a  private  individual  indulges  in  expensive  fancieSj 
he  has  small  influence  to  injure  any  one  but  himself;  but 
when  the  place  is  a  public  one,  and  set  up  as  an  example 
of  all  that  is  admirable,  then,  in  addition  to  the  first  wasteful 
expenditure,  we  have  an  object  hurtful  to  the  public  tastCj 
and  sowing  the  seed  of  its  ugliness  all  over  the  country. 

It  may  be  said  that  our  taste  in  England  is  suflBciently 
assured  against  this ;  but  it  is  not  so.  I  have  known  those 
whose  lawns  were  or  might  readily  be  made  the  most 
beautiful  of  gardens,  ruin  them,  and  for  the  mere  sake  of 
having  a  terraced  garden.  There  is  a  modem  castle  in 
Scotland  where  the  embankments  are  piled  one  above 
another  till  the  thing  looks  as  if  the  Chinese  who  carve  the 
ivory  balls  had  been  invited  to  make  a  corresponding  ar- 
rangement in  the  fortification  style.  Were  it  a  matter  of 
trifling  cost,  or  which  could  be  easily  abolished  or  even 
avoided,  it  woidd  not  be  worthy  our  attention ;  but  being 
so  expensive  that  it  may  curtail  for  years  the  legitimate 
outlay  for  a  garden,  and  prevent  expenditure  in  live  interest 
rather  than  in  slow  crumbling  monotony,  too  much  cannot 
be  urged  against  it.  The  style  was  in  doubtful  taste  in 
climates  and  positions  more  suited  to  it  than  those  of 
northern  France  and  England ;  but  he  who  would  now 
adopt  it  in  an  age  when  civilization  has  set  its  formal  brand 
upon  everything,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  inexhaustible 
and  magnificent  collections  of  trees  and  plants  which   we 

b2 


244  VERSAILLES. 

now  possess^  is  an  enemy  to  every  true  interest   of  the 
garden. 

We  will  next  visit  a  few  of  the  more  interesting  of  such 
fieatures  as  are  hidden  from  the  general  scene,  first,  how- 
ever, glancing  at  the  Tapis  Vert — ^the  grassy  avenue  which 
leads  from  the  parterre  to  the  Bassin  d^ApoUon  and  the 
Ghrand  Canal.  From  it  the  effect  is  much  better  than  from 
the  terrace  above,  and  it,  like  many  parts  of  the  place,  is 
bordered  or  hedged  with  numbers  of  costly  statues  and 
vases.  They  seem  as  profuse  as  if  the  gold  and  marble  had 
been  dug  up  on  the  spot,  and  as  if  this  had  been  the  reason 
why  a  great  garden  had  been  made  in  such  a  veiy  bad 
position. 

The  Orangery  here,  in  a  sunk  garden  to  the  south  of 
the  Palace  and  the  Parterre  du  Midi,  is  probably  the  most 
remarkable  known.  It  is  most  permanently  and  massively 
built  in  the  face  of  a  terrace,  and  is  more  than  thirteen 
hundred  feet  long  by '  thirty-six  wide.  It  is  in  fact  an 
immense  archway,  lighted  at  one  side.  The  height  from 
the  balustrade  of  the  terrace  above  to  the  walk  in  front  of  the 
Orangery  is  about  forty-six  feet,  and  once  on  the  occasion  of 
a  night  fete  a  poor  English  visitor,  thinking  this  balustrade 
was  merely  a  dividing  line  between  two  parterres,  jumped 
over,  and  was  found  nearly  killed  below.  The  collection  of 
Orange  trees  here  is  inmiense ;  but  as  we  have  already  dis- 
cussed this  unhappy  phase  of  horticulture  in  the  chapter  on 
the  Tuileries  gardens,  little  need  be  said  here.  One  of  the 
trees,  however,  is  deserving  of  especial  remark,  and,  indeed, 
I  hoped  to  give  an  exact  portrait  of  it,  and  should  have 
done  so  were  it  not  for  an  unpunctual  photographer.  This 
tree  was  produced  from  seeds  sown  in  1421,  by  Leonora  of 
Castille,  wife  of  Charles  III.,  King  of  Navarre,  and  after 
enduring  between  400  and  500  years,  is  still  healthy  and 
verdant  in  its  leafage,  though  a  little  tottering,  and  requiring 
to  be  carefully  propped  up.  That  it  should  have  lived  so 
long  imder  the  circumstances  is  indeed  very  remarkable, 
for  of  course  a  tree  put  into  a  half-lighted  building  in 
winter,  and  placed  in  the  open  air  in  summer,  and  at  all 
times  liable  to  vicissitudes  at  the  roots,  runs  great  danger 


LA   TOILETTE  D'aPOLLON. 


VERSAILLES.  245 

compared  to  one  in  the  open  air.  The  large  collection  of 
Orange-trees  is  usually  placed  in  the  open  air  about  the 
15th  of  May,  and  under  cover  not  later  than  the  15th  of 
October,  so  that  the  trees  only  enjoy  the  free  air  and  sun  for 
five  months  out  of  the  twelve.  In  addition  to  the  Orange- 
trees,  a  few  other  exotics  were  kept  in  this  structure  in 
winter,  and  submitted  to  the  same  treatment  as  the  Orange- 
trees  at  all  other  seasons.  These  are  Justicia  Adhatoda^ 
Olea  angustifolia,  Jasminum  azoricum,  and  Edwardsia 
grandiflora.  They  seemed  to  do  remarkably  well  under  the 
treatment  usually  given  to  Orange-trees  on  the  Continent, 
and  the  Justicia  and  Jasminum,  and  perhaps  the  others,  are 
in  my  opinion  more  worthy  of  being  thus  grown  than  the 
Orange,  inasmuch  as  they  display  their  fine  flowers  in  the 
open  air  in  summer,  and  they  are  less  costly  than  when 
grown  in  stoves  or  conservatories.  The  specimens  of  the 
Madeira  Jasmine  are  the  finest  I  ever  saw;  the  rich  green 
shoots  drooping  gracefully  and  bearing  abundance  of  flowers. 
The  Justicia  and  others  were  said  to  flower  abundantly  in 
their  seasons.  This,  considered  in  connexion  with  the 
success  which  attends  the  culture  of  the  Oleander  and  the 
sweet-scented  Pittosporum  under  like  circumstances,  and 
even  when  preserved  in  cellars  during  the  winter,  would 
seem  to  point  to  the  desirability  of  adopting  the  system,  or 
a  modification  of  it.  It  has  not  spread  among  us,  but  it  cer- 
tainly is  as  practicable  in  England  as  in  many  parts  of  the 
Continent  where  it  is  seen.  With  us  the  nearest  thing  to  it 
is  the  practice  of  putting  handsome  evergreens  in  tubs  for 
placing  in  terrace  gardens,  &c.  But  surely  it  is  scarcely 
worth  while  doing  this  with  things  that  we  see  in  every 
shrubbery  !  If  we  do  go  to-  the  expense  of  growing  plants 
thus,  let  us  select  those  that  will  not  bear  the  open  air  of 
our  winters,  but  which  succeed  well  out  of  doors  in  summer. 
It  is  needless  to  describe  the  numberless  gardens,  foun- 
tains, &c.,  of  Versailles,  and  indeed  impossible,  unless  one 
could  devote  a  book  to  the  subject.  Very  few  of  the  spots 
indicated  on  the  plan  will  please  the  visitor  more  than  the 
garden  or  Bosquet  du  Roi,  near  the  Orangery ;  and  simply 
because   the    artificialness,   the    stonework,    and    want    of 


346.  TERSAILLES. 

repose  whict  are  characteristics  of  the  greata"  part  of  Vcr- 
sailles,  are  here  absent.  It  is  simply  a  sweep  of  grass,  sur- 
rounded by  handsome  treeSj  with  a  few  flower  beds  and  fine- 
leaved  plants  here  and  there.  It  is  but  one  of  a  thousand 
types  of  scene  which  pure  taste  and  a  knowledge  of  hardy 
trees  and  plants  may  produce,  and  yet  it  is  sufficient  to 
show  the  vain,  unsatisfactory,  and  trumpery  character  of 
the  various  iar  more  costly  gardens  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood. All  Tisitora  should  see  it  after  suireying  the 
general  dreariness  of  the  rest. 


ITio  Tapis  Vert. 

To  the  south  of  the  Tapis  Vert,  and  near  the  Jardia  du 
Boi,  the  Colonnade  is  veiy  well  worth  seeing,  and  perhaps 
the  happiest  feature  of  the  architectural  gardening.  The 
grove  encloses  a  peristyle  in  marble  about  one  hundred  feet 
in  diameter.  It  is  composed  of  thirty-two  columns  of 
marble  in  different  colours,  with  the  capitals  in  white 
marble,  and  all  most  richly  ornamented.  Under  each  arch 
is  jJaced  a  vase-like  basin  in  marble  from  which  springs  a 
jet  d'eau,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  areoa  is  a  group  in 
marble  representing  the  Hape  of  Proserpine.     The  effect  of 


VERSAILLES.  247 

the  whole^  closely  surrounded  as  it  is  by  a  dense  grove^  is 
very  fine. 

To  the  right  of  the  ch&teau^  the  most  interesting  spot^  is 
the  Sosquet  des  Sains  d'ApoUon.  This  is  simply  a  large 
and  picturesque  surface  of  rock^  well-backed  by  trees  and 
with  a  pillared  grotto  or  recess  about  its  centre^  containing 
the  group  in  white  marble  shown  in  the  accompanying 
plate.  To  the  right  and  left  of  this  magnificent  group^  and 
also  exposed  on  the  rocky  face^  are  two  groups  in  marble, 
representing  the  horses  of  the  sun  watered  by  tritons. 
These  three  groups  form  the  most  imposing  ensemble  of 
sculpture  at  Versailles.  When  the  waters  play,  a  cascade 
tumbles  from  the  rocks  into  the  piece  of  water  at  their 
base.  The  banks  in  front  of  them  are  wildly  clothed  with 
trailing  shrubs,  the  Polypody  densely  mantles  the  rocks; 
the  vegetation  around  is  tastefully  arranged  to  suit  the 
scene,  which  is  on  the  whole  the  most  striking  and  satis- 
factory in  the  gardens  at  Versailles. 

On  the  fountains  and  waterworks  of  Versailles  skill  and 
gold  were  lavished  by  their  creators.  The  Sassin  de  Nep- 
time  is  the  most  important.  As  the  waters  only  play 
on  special  occasions,  and  as  they  cost  about  10,000  francs 
every  time  they  do  play,  one  is  justified  in  considering  the 
basins  in  their  usually  dormant  aspect.  Nothing  can  look 
more  wretched  than  any  garden  exhibiting  large  fountain 
basins.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  cf  September,  1868, 
I  strolled  round  this  fountain  basin,  endeavouring  to  dis- 
cover some  beauty  in  it.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  fruits 
falling  abundantly  from  the  Horse-chestnut  groves  close  at 
hand  and  a  poor  woman  gathering  them  for  fuel,  I  should 
have  imagined  myself  in  a  dead  world.  The  formality  of 
the  surroundings,  the  mouldering,  faded  margins  and  inde- 
scribable emptiness  and  ugliness  of  the  scene,  seemed  only 
worthy  of  some  sphere  of  geometrical  craters  and  pools. 

The  figure  showing  this  basin  in  full  play  obviates  any 
necessity  of  describing  it.  The  upper  margin  of  the  basin  has 
twenty-two  large  vases  in  lead,  ornamented  with  bas-reliefs, 
while  on  the  face  of  the  wall  are  three  immense  groups  in 
the  same  material — ^the  central  one  representing  Neptune  and 


us 


VERSAILLES. 


AmpMtritc  seated  in  a  vaat  shell  Biuroanded  by  nymphs, 
tritons,  and  sea  monsters.  The  trestem  group  represents 
Ocean  resting  upon  a  sea  unicorn — that  to  the  esst  Proteus, 
vhile  at  the  angles  are  two  colossal  dragons  bearing  Cupids. 
This  fountain  is  the  last  to  play  of  all  those  at  Versailles, 
the  grand  final  scene  of  the  day,  \isually  beginning  abont 
five  o'clock,  when  all  the  others  have  ceased.  The  effect  is 
very  good  of  its  kind,  and  attracts  great  crowds  of  people. 


Vaaa  BorgbJBi 


It  is  hopeless  to  attempt  an  enumeration  of  the  riches 
possessed  by  almost  every  part  of  the  garden  in  statues 
and  vases.  The  accompanying  figure  may  sene  to  give  an 
idea  of  their  execution. 

The  Bassiu  de  Latone  has  five  circular  basins,  rising  one 
above  the  other  in  a  pyramidal  form,  surmounted  by  a  group 
representing  Latona  with  Apollo  and  Diana,  the  goddess 
imploring  the  vengeance  of  Jupiter  against  the  peasants  of 


VERSAILLES.  249 

Libya,  who  refused  her  water.  The  peasants,  changed,  or 
in  the  process  of  being  changed,  into  frogs,  tortoises,  and 
lizards,  are  placed  on  the  different  levels,  and  shoot  water 
upon  Latona  from  every  direction.  The  tablets  are  of  red 
marble,  the  group  white  marble,  and  the  firogs,  &c.,  in  lead, 
and  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  very  striking  when  the  waters 
phiy. 

There  are  many  other  fountains,  basins,  Sec.,  of  minor 
importance  which  the  visitor  will  be  delighted  to  escape 
from  into  the  garden  of  the  Petit  Trianon,  at  the  north 
end  of  the  park. 

The  Grand  and  the  Petit  Trianons  are  simply  two  villas 


Temple  do  I'Aoiour  in  tlia  gardens  iit  the  Pclit  Trianon. 


at  the  CKtrcmity  of  the  park,  each  with  extensive  gardens. 
Those  of  the  first  mentioned  are  among  the  most  angular, 
ugly,  and  cheerless  it  has  ever  been  my  fortune  to  see — those 
of  the  Petit  Trianon  by  far  the  best  gardens  at  or  near  Ver- 
sailles. To  pass  into  them  from  these  interminable  gardens, 
where  the  "  genius  of  Le  Notre  "  has  been  bo  successful 
in  stealing  from  nature  every  grace,  is  as  refreshing 
as  being  suddenly  transferred  from  some  gigantic  Cotton- 
opolis to  a  green  and  sunny  Piedmontese  valley.  It  was 
the  favourite  residence  of  Marie  Antoinette,  and  the  gar- 
dens were  in  great  part  laid  out  by  her  in  what  the  French 
call  the  "  English"  or  natural  style.     Most  of  the  expense 


250  TKB5AILLBS. 

has  been  devoted  to  the  planting  of  choice  kinds  of  hardy 
trees,  of  which  there  are  many  fine  specimens  in  the  groundsj 
many  planted  before  the  ReTolution,  and  a  great  many  newer 
speciea  since.  Quiet  and  refreshingly  verdant  glades,  a  tiny 
fltreandet  picturesquely  meandering  through  them,  a  well 
deaigned  piece  of  water,  a  little  Sviss  village,  dairy,  &c., 
erected  by  Marie  Antoinette,  constitute  the  chief  charms  of 
the  place  apart  from  its  associations.  But  trees  and  grass, 
and  shrabs  and  flowers,  a  streamlet  and  rocks,  a  lake  and 

Fio.  91. 


ViGw  ID  the  garden  of  the  Petit  Trianon. 

8  few  picturesque  buildings,  how  much  you  can  do  with 
them  I  We  travel  far  and  wide  to  see  natural  combina- 
tions of  a  few  of  these,  and  find  them  lovely  and  different  in 
every  clime.  Even  so  may  we  make  our  gardens  vary, 
and  infinitely  more  so,  because  we  may  combine  the  vege- 
table beauties  of  many  climes,  while  in  nature  we  only  get 
a  comparatively  limited  view  of  them  iu  any  one  spot. 

No  visitor  to  the  Petit  Trianon  should  omit  to  see   the 
Jardin  des  Fleurs  in  front  of  the  house  of  M,  Charpentier, 


FOKTAINEBLEAU.  251 

chief  gardener  of  the  Triauona.  It  is  a  garden  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  word,  not  large,  but  contuning  a  rich  variety 
of  plants  tastefully  arranged.  There  are  many  handamne 
hardy  trees,  groups  of  Arundo  and  Pampas  dotted  on  the 
grass,  the  Tamarix  used  in  like  manner,  and  very  effective 
irith  masses  of  Cannas,  Salvias,  New  Zealand  Flax,  and 
numerous  other  tender  plants  put  out  for  the  summer. 
These  are  usually  very  gracefully  arranged,  the  boxes  con- 
taining the  larger  specimens  carefully  concealed  by  dwarfer 
subjects  and  plenty  of  verdant  grass  as  irell  as  bnlliant 
flowers. 

In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  this  garden  are  very 
extensive  and  well  managed  nurseries  for  the  supply  of  the 
imperial  gardens  of  Paris.  To  the  professional  bortieultorist 
they  will  prove  worthy  of  a  visit. 

Fantainebleau,  and  the  Gladiolus  Grounds  of  M.  Souchet. 

Fontainebleau  is  one  of  many  places  in  France  not  likely 
to  be  remembered  ivith  much  pleasure  for  their  gardens. 


gunlcns  of  FoDtitiaubiaiiu. 


The  formality  of  the  water  and  the  avenues  and  the  lines  of 
fusty  clipped  Lime  trees  render  it  impossible  for  the  eye  to 
find  in  such  a  place  any  of  the  solace  or  charms  of  a  true 
garden.  The  portion  planted  as  an  "  English  garden " 
has  ind^d  some  peace  about  it,  but  unhappily  the  strictest 


252  POKTAINEBLE&D,  AND  THE 

fonaalitjr  governs  every  line  of  the  vegetatioii  on  the  garden 
front  of  the  palatse.  It  is  that  type  of  garden  Trhich  has 
not  a  curious  comer  in  it  nor  a  ray  of  novelty,  and  conse- 
quently to  describe  it  in  detail  would  be  to  waste  space.  The 
illustrations  show  it  fully,  but  with  a  touch  of  grace  which 
it  does  not  really  possess,  for  an  artist  has  too  much  feeling 
to  draw  it  in  all  its  angularity  and  baldness^  and  weaves  in 
over  the  grateful  surface  a.  little  of  the  freedom  and  grace 
of  nature.  The  only  feature  of  any  practical  horticnl- 
toral  interest  in  the  place  is  the  famous  Treille  du  Roi^  an 


View  in  the  forest  orFootaiiiebleau. 

enormous  wall  of  vines,  which,  bordering  the  park,  is  said 
to  annually  produce  SOOOlbs.  or  90001bs.  of  grapes.  It  is 
planted  with  the  Chasselas  de  Fontainebleau,  and  the  wall 
is  well  managed,  as  indeed  one  would  expect  it  to  be,  so 
near  Thomery, 

Of  the  things  to  be  seen  at  Fontainebleau,  those  best 
worth  remembering  are  far  away  from  the  chAteau  and 
even  from  tbe  garden.  It  is  tedious  work  getting  away 
from  the  interminable  long  straight  roads  that  lead  from 
the  ch&tean  in  every  direction ;  but,  once  in  the  midst  of 


254  FONTAINEBLEAU,   AND   TH£ 

the  whole  of  the  extensive  grounds  planted  with  Gladioli 
you  could  not  notice  a  decayed  leaf^  and  all  the  plants  were 
in  the  rudest  health,  some  of  the  varieties  growing  as  much 
as  six  feet  high.  It  was  a  fine  sight  at  any  tijne  of  the 
day  to  see  the  magnificent  stretch  of  varied  bloom ;  but 
the  days  about  the  time  of  my  last  visit  were  very  hot,  and 
one  was  obliged  to  get  up  very  early  in  the  morning  to  see 
it  at  its  best.  Although  very  showy  at  noon,  yet  the  hot 
sun  had  caused  the  most  open  flowers  to  flag  a  little.  Sut 
in  the  early  morning,  when  the  dew  himg  upon  the  bloom, 
and  every  petal  was  braced  with  its  freshness,  the  flowers 
were  magnificent. 

The  insect  enemies  of  M.  Souchet  would  prove  enough 
to  deter  and  defeat  most  men.  He  makes  ceaseless  war 
against  them,  and  if  they  do  succeed  in  destroying  a  bulb 

Fio.  97. 


Courteli^re  (Mole  Cricket). 

now  and  then,  it  generally  forms  the  guide  to  their  detection 
and  destruction.  If  the  courteliere  or  mole  cricket  were 
allowed  his  own  way  for  a  fortnight  in  these  groimds,  I 
fear  some  of  the  great  bulb  houses  would  suflFer  from  their 
want  of  Gladioli  in  autumn.  When  this  strong  and  well 
armed  little  fellow  gets  into  a  bed  of  choice  Gladioli,  you 
cannot  well  dig  him  out  as  you  could  if  he  happened  to  be 
in  an  open  spot.  The  way  he  is  killed  here  is  so  interesting 
and  efiective  that  I  must  relate  it.  M.  Souchet  explained 
it  to  me ;  but  so  many  receipts  for  exterminating  vermin 
are  not  worth  the  trouble  of  trying  the  second  time,  that 
probably  I  should  not  have  noticed  it  had  he  not  called  a 
workman  and  given  me  an  illustration  on  the  spot.  When 
the  mole  cricket  goes  about,  he  leaves  a  little  loose  ridge, 
like  the  animal  after  which  he  is  named :  and  when  his 


GLADIOLUS   GR0UND8   OP   H.  80UCHET.  255 

presence  is  detected  in  a  closely  planted  bed  of  Gladiolus 
at  Fontainebleau,  they  generally  press  the  gioimd  quite 
smooth  with  the  footj  bo  fhat  hia  track  and  halting-place 
may  be  more  distinctly  seen  the  next  time  he  moves  about. 
This  had  been  done  in  the  present  instance  in  the  case  of 
a  young  bed  of  seedlings.  We  saw  his  track,  and  a  work- 
man, who  brought  with  bim  a  jar  of  water  and  one  ot 
common  oil,  opened  a  little  hole  with  his  finger  above  the 
spot  where  the  enemy  lay.  Then  he  filled  it  with  water 
twice,  and  on  the  top  of  the  water  poured  a  little  oil.  The 
water  gradually  descended,  and  with  it  the  oil,  which, 
closing  up  the  breathing  pores  of  the  mischievous  little 
brute,  caused  it  to  begin  to  sufier  Irom  asphyxia,  and  in 
about  twenty  seconds  we  bad  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  put 
forth  its  horns  from  the  water,  go  back  a  little  when  it  saw 
us,  but  again  come  forth  to  die  on  the  surface,  hindered 
for  ever  from  destroying  valuable  bulbs.  Being  very  strong 
and  well  armed,  a  single  mole  cricket  can  do  a  deal  of  damage 
in  a  bed  of  Gladiolus,  and  therefore  the  moment  the  work- 
men of  M.  Souchet  see  a  trace  of  the  pest  they  take  meana 
to  catch  it  as  described,  jars  of  water  and  oil  being  always 
kept  at  hand. 

The  mole   cricket  is  only  one   enemy — the  ver  blanc  ia 
worse.     Of  what  a   vile   opponent  this  is, 
some  idea  may  be  formed  when  I  relate  the  ^'"^  ^■ 

precautions  M.  Souchet  is  obliged  to  take 
against  it,  even  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  a 
few  Rhododendrons.  He  has  built  a  pri- 
vate house  near  his  Gladiolus  grounds,  and 
wishing  to  have  a  couple  of  beds  of  these 
shrubs  within  view  of  the  windows,  he  has 
had  to  build  strong  cemented  walls  deep 
into  the  earth  around  each  bed,  and  fill 
in  the  bottom  with  a  deep  bed  of  fine 
sand,  so  as  to  guard  against  the  entrance  of  this  dreaded 
worm  into  the  bed.  But  it  is  among  his  bulbs  that  most  is 
to  be  feared.  He  employs  a  great  number  of  people  to  gather 
the  parent  insect  at  the  egg-depositing  season,  has  the  larvee 
picked  up  after  the  plough,  and  one  way  or  another  avoids 


256  FONTAINEBLEAU,  AND   THE 

their  ravages^  though  at  great  cost  of  time  and  money. 
The  ver  blanc  is  simply  the  larva  of  the  cockchafer. 

The  damage  done  by  these  enemies  to  horticulture  and 
agriculture  in  France  is  almost  incredible.  They  are  pro- 
ductive of  far  greater  injuries  than  any  that  we  are  visited 
with  through  insects ;  and  though  their  ravages  are  not  so 
noticeable  in  this  country,  it  is  very  likely  that  they  occa- 
sionally do  a  good  deal  of  damage  perhaps  without  being 
suspected.  Where  they  happen  to  be  plentiful  in  or  near 
gardens  they  are  sure  to  be  at  mischievous  work,  and  should 
be  watched  accordingly.  Gardens  and  fields  and  whole 
districts  are  sometimes  ruined  by  the  ver  blanc  in  France ; 
and  there  are  even  places  where  it  is  impossible  to  cultivate 
any  kind  of  vegetable  in  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  the 
mole  cricket. 

The  soil  is  a  very  sandy,  not  a  fluffy  one,  observe,  but 
one  with  some  holding  power,  and  yet  when  you  get  a  dry 
bit  of  a  clod  of  it,  and  crumble  it  fine  on  a  silk  glove,  you 
find  that  most  of  it  sinks  through  to  the  palm  of  your 
hand,  in  the  form  of  nearly  impalpable  sand.  It  is  well 
manured,  and  pretty  rich  and  deep,  firom  having  been  long 
used  as  kitchen-garden  ground.  Horse  manure  is  preferred, 
and  that  as  well  rotted  as  possible.  The  time  of  planting 
is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  important  things  to  be  acquainted 
with,  and  they  do  it  here  from  April  till  the  early  part  of 
June.  The  late  planting  is  not  often  resorted  to  however. 
They  prefer  the  beginning  of  May  for  the  general  and  the 
safest  planting.  The  medium-sized  bulbs  give  the  best 
flowers  as  a  rule,  the  biggest  often  breaking  into  several 
stems  instead  of  giving  one  good  one.  To  plant  at  various 
times  of  course  will  lead  to  a  succession  of  bloom.  The 
seedlings  flower  in  their  third  year.  The  time  of  taking  up 
is  October,  and,  from  the  great  quantity  to  be  stored,  this 
process  sometimes  goes  on  to  the  beginning  of  November. 
The  plants  are  mostly  in  beds,  about  four  feet  wide,  placed 
in  rows  across  the  bed,  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  apart. 
The  beds  are  all  covered  with  short  litter  to  keep  the  soil 
moist.  In  very  hot  weather  they  are  well  watered.  Each 
kind  is  numbered,  the  scraps  of  lead  on  which  the  numbers 


GLADIOLUS  GE0UND8  OP  M.  SOUCHET. 


257 


are  stamped  being  wrapped  round  bits  of  Vine  prunings, 
stuck  in  the  earth.  The  beds  are  also  carefully  examined 
during  the  blooming  season^  so  as  to  destroy  all  those  not 
true  to  name^  or  what  are  termed  ^^  rogues/^  Such  are  the 
chief  points  as  to  cultivation — ^next  for  a  selection  of  the 
varieties. 

There  are  altogether  in  cultivation  here  between  250  and 
800  varieties.  Of  these^  we  first  selected  the  undermentioned 
as  best,  and  then  went  over  them  again,  marking  the  very 
best  of  all.  This  second  or  choicest  selection  is  indicated 
by  an  asterisk  to  all  those  so  chosen  : — 


Achille. 

xvIIftlS 

Belle  Gabriellc. 

Charles  Dickens. 

Chenibini. 
*Dr.  Lindley. 
•Due  de  Malakoff. 

£1  Dorado. 

Fulton. 

Galilee. 

•Imp^ratrice  Eugenie. 
*  James  Veitch. 
•John  Waterer. 

Ladj  Franklin. 

Laqnintinie. 
♦Le  roussin. 

La  Titiens. 

Linne. 


*Lord  Byron. 
*Madame  Furtado. 

Madame  Les^ble. 

Madame  de  Scvign6. 
*Madame  Vilmorin. 

Marechal  Yaillant. 
*Marie  Dumortier. 

Mazeppa. 

Met^ore. 
♦Meyerbeer. 
♦Milton. 

*M.  Ad.  Brongniart. 
♦Napoleon  III. 

Newton. 

Ophir. 

Oracle. 
♦Pdnelopc. 


Prince  of  Wales. 

Princess  of  Wales. 
♦Princesse  Clothilde. 
♦Princess  Mary  of  Cam- 
bridge. 
♦Queen  Victoria. 

Reverend  Mr.  Berkeley. 

Roi  Leopold. 

Hubens. 
♦Shakspeare. 

Sir  William  Hooker. 

Stephenson. 

Stuart  Low. 

Thomas  Moore. 
♦Sir  Joseph  Paxton. 

♦Sir  Walter  Scott. 


It  is  e\'ident  there  is  an  ample  field  from  which  to  select, 
and  a  sufiBcient  variety  to  please  the  most  fastidious.  M. 
Souchet  grows  exclusively  for  wholesale  houses,  and  a 
large  proportion  of  the  bulbs  of  these  attractive  autumnal 
flowers,  which  are  met  with  in  the  stores  of  the  Paris  and 
London  nurserymen  or  seedsmen,  are  derived  from  the 
grounds  of  this  most  successful  of  cultivators.  I  cannot 
close  this  without  acknowledging  the  great  kindness  of  M. 
and  Madame  Souchet,  both  as  amiable  and  excellent  in 
private  life  as  M.  Souchet  is  distinguished  in  horticulture  ; 
and  some  of  the  pleasantcst  of  the  many  agreeable  visits  I 
have  made  to  great  gardens  were  those  paid  to  M.  and  Madame 
Souchet  and  the  forest  and  gardens  of  Fontainebleau. 

In  France  the  Gladiolus  is  cultivated  much  more  abun* 
dantly  than  with  us — a  state  of  things  which  should  not 

8 


2.58  GLADIOLUS  GROUNDS   OF   M.    80UCHET. 

long  oontmue^  as  nothing  can  be  more  worthy  of  general 
cultivation^  or  more  calculated  to  improve  the  general  aspect 
of  our  ornamental  gardens.  Perhaps  one  of  the  best  re- 
commendations of  this  fine  bnlb  is  that  its  flowers  continue 
to  open  long  after  the  spike  is  cut^  and  bloom  in  a  vase  of 
water  as  freely  as  in  the  open  garden.  I  have  never  seen 
anything  more  beautiful  or  effective  than  large  Sevres  vases 
filled  with  the  spikes  of  the  finer  kinds  in  M.  Souchet's 
house.  Many  of  his  varieties  grow  five  feet  or  more  high ; 
when  cut,  a  yard  or  more  of  the  spike  is  preserved,  no 
other  arrangement  being  needed  except  to  insert  their  bases 
in  the  mouth  of  the  vase,  and  allow  their  heads  to  spread 
widely  forth,  placing  a  few  branches  of  evergreens,  or  any 
verdure  at  hand,  among  the  stems,  just  to  give  them  a  little 
relief.  There  is  no  one  kind  of  flower  that  could  make 
such  a  noble  combination,  and  the  effect  within  the  cool, 
thick- walled  French  house,  on  hot  days^  was  of  .the  highest 
character.  It  may  safely  be  said  that  the  Gladiolus  is  the 
finest  of  all  our  flowers  for  indoor  decoration  in  autumn,  its 
tall  and  noble  spike  entirely  preventing  it  from  being  used 
to  produce  the  dumpling-like  effects  given  by  Dahlias  and 
other  popular  flowers ;  and  in  the  open  air  its  uses  are  even 
more  valuable. 

It  should  be  premised,  however,  that  in  all  cases  either  a 
naturally  sandy,  rich,  and  deep  light  soil  should  be  given 
to  it,  or  one  made  so  artificially.  There  are  many  stiff  and 
sticky  soils  on  which  it  would  be  much  better  to  avoid  its 
culture,  and  turn  one's  attention  to  things  more  tolerant  of 
the  soil.  But  the  question  of  soil  once  settled,  let  us  take 
the  case  of  a  bed  of  choice  Roses  in  some  position  near  the 
house.  Most  probably  this  bed  will  present  a  somewhat 
disappointing  aspect  after  the  Hoses  are  past  their  best ;  and 
even  if  they  continue  to  flower  well,  the  peeping  forth  of 
some  splendid  spikes  of  Gladioli  here  and  there  will  surely 
not  detract  from  their  beauty.  To  secure  this,  all  we  have 
to  do  is  to  insert  some  bulbs  of  the  various  kinds  of  Gladioli 
in  the  spaces  between  the  Roses  in  the  early  part  of  May,  or 
thereabouts,  planting  them  singly  here  and  there,  and  at  about 
three  or  four  inches  deep,  and  taking  up  the  roots  in  the 


THE    GARD]ENS   OP   ST.    CLOUD. 


259 


month  of  October.  Is  it  necessary  to  suggest  a  score  of 
other  analogous  uses  ?  Need  it  be  said  how  tastefully  they 
may  be  introduced  just  within  the  edge  of  the  low  choice 
plantation^  or  in  beds  of  valuable  shrubs  on  the  lawn?  Groups 
of  them  in  the  centre  of  flower-beds  would  be  splendid ;  and 
planted  thinly  here  and  there  among  beds  of  low-^growing 
subjects — say  Saponaria^  Mignonette,  &c.,  they  would  rise 
above  these,  and  their  effect  above  the  surfacing  flower  would 
prove  very  fine  indeed.  They  may  be  placed  in  groups  or 
rings  around  Standard  Roses;  they  will  make  the  most 
valuable  groups  in  the  mixed  border ;  and  finally,  we  may 
make  grand  beds  of  them  by  themselves,  or  associated  with 
Lilies  or  Irises. 

St.  Cloud,  popular  as  it  is,  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
uninteresting  gardens  known.  It  is,  however,  worth  seeing, 
if  only  to  get  an  idea  of  how  much  "  the  genius  of  a  Le 
Notre'^  may  do  to  spoil  a  place  naturally  beautiful.  The 
canals,  the  lines  of  ugly  clipped  trees,  and  every  base  feature 
of  geometrical  gardening  are  there,  but  nothing  worth 
remembering  as  an  example.  The  situation  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  that  gardening  man  could  desire,  and  would 
be  ravishing  if  tastefully  and  simply  laid 
out  in  the  natural  style.  The  lamentable 
effect  of  clipping  the  trees  is  well  shown 
in  the  plate;  it  is  very  evident  the  poor 
trees  do  not  like  it.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  find  a  more  striking  example  of  labour 
worse  than  thrown  away  than  that  be- 
stowed on  clipping  trees  in  many  French 
gardens.  Not  only  are  the  trees  them- 
selves robbed  of  all  individual  beauty  or 
character,  but  many  noble  places  are 
spoiled  by  their  presence.  Frequently  the 
trees  become  hideous  &om  disease  conse- 
quent upon  mutilation ;  and  what  they  are 
in  perfection  may  be  seen  by  the  accompany- 
ing model  tree  figured  by  a  professor  in  one  A  French  ideal  of 
of  the  best  French  books  on  arboriculture.         tree-beauty. 

Any   real   necessity   for   this   clipping  does  not   exist. 

s  2 


Fia.  99. 


Wlien  trees  are  planted  in  close  lines  to  form  a  ehacly 
avenue,  their  natural  tendency  is  to  form  a  beautifiil 
and  fonnal,  though  picturesque  arch,  bo  that  clipping  them 
to  ohtain  this  is  a  fiitile  harbarism.  Do  we  want  to  prevent 
them  spreading  forth  and  filling  the  streets  with  their  great 
wide  heads  ?  If  so  we  may  select  trees  almost  pillar-like  in 
their  habit,  as  the  Lomhardy  Poplar,  the  fastigiate  Acacia, 
and  Torious  trees  of  similar  aspect.  Do  we  require  them 
flat-headed  and  low,  so  that  while  shading  the  hot  street 


they  may  not  darken  all  the  windows  ?  If  so  wc  have  the 
Faulownia,  of  great  shading  power,  and  fine  as  a  street  tree 
on  dry  soil,  without  a  disposition  to  mount  much  higher 
than  the  headed-down  Limes  we  notice  in  so  many  London 
street  gardens. 

Meudon  is  much  less  known  and  visited  by  English 
people  than  St.  Cloud  or  Versailles,  though  it  could  hardly 
fail  to  please  as  much  as  the  former.  For  a  charming  view 
of  Paris  and  the  intervening  country  it  is  superior  to  St. 
Cloud,  and  e^ual  to  any  spot   near  Paris,     This  view  may 


MEUDON.  261 

be  best  enjoyed  from  the  terrace,  which  is  tastefully  planted 
and  not  disfigured  with  Orange  trees  in  tubs,  as  many  con- 
tinental gardens  are.  As  to  its  gardening  proper,  the  most 
novel  feature  is  an  ornamental  orchard — a  good  idea.  This 
is  simply  formed  by  planting  shrubberies,  groups,  and 
single  specimens  of  well  trained  fruit  trees  in  an  undulating 
piece  of  pleasure  ground  instead  of  the  ordinary  subjects 
generally  used.  The  plan  is  well  worthy  of  adoption,  nearly 
all  of  our  best  fruit  trees  being  highly  valuable  as  orna- 
ments alone. 


262 


CHAPTER  Xin. 

THE     PLANT     DECORATION     OF    APARTMENTS — REFORM   IN   THE 

CONSERVATORY PALMS THE  IVY  AND  ITS  USES  IN  PARISIAN 

GARDENS. 

The  plant  decoration  of  apartments. 

The  graceful  custom  of  growing  plants  in  Kving  rooms  is 
very  much  more  prevalent  on  the  Continent  than  with  us. 
It  is  true  that  we  often  see  a  display  of  flowering  plants  in 
rooms^  though  we  very  rarely  rise  to  the  use  of  subjects 
distinguished  by  beauty  of  form^  or  select  those  that  are 
peculiarly  adapted  for  culture  indoors.  But  the  day  is  ap- 
proaching when  the  value  of  graceful  plants  as  house  orna- 
ments will  be  very  fully  recognised ;  and  that  the  substitution 
of  life  and  changeful  interest  for  much  that,  however  costly 
or  well  executed,  is  without  these  qualities,  will  prove  a  gain 
few  will  doubt.  Apart  altogether  from  their  eflfect  as  orna- 
ments, what  can  more  agreeably  introduce  us  to  the  study 
of  natural  history  ?  The  influence  of  the  graceftd  form  of 
a  young  Palm  in  the  hall,  the  fascinating  verdure  of  Ferns 
and  fine-leaved  plants  from  many  countries  in  the  drawing- 
room,  and  flowers,  from  the  Orchids  of  the  uplands  of 
Mexico  to  the  tiny  bulbs  of  Europe,  in  your  Lilliputian 
room-conservatory,  is  surely  more  eloquent  in  that  direction 
than  any  book  teachings.  You  cannot  deny,  as  Kingsley 
says,  that  your  daughters  "  find  an  enjoyment  in  it,  and  are 
more  active,  more  cheerfiil,  more  self-forgetful  over  it,  than 
they  would  have  been  over  novels  and  gossip,  crochet  and 
Berlin  wool.  At  least  you  will  confess  that  the  abomination 
of  '  fancy  work' — that  standing  doak  for  dreamy  idleness 
(not  to  mention  the  injury  it  does  to  poor  starving  needle- 
women)— has  all  but   vanished   from  your  drawing-room 


THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OF  APAETMEMTS. 


since  the  '  Lady  Ferns'  aod  '  Yenus's  Hair'  appeared ;  and 
that  yon  could  not  help  yoimelf  looking  now  and  then  at 
the  said  'Venus'a  Hair/  and  agreeing  that  nature's  real 
heauties  were  somewhat  auperior  to  the  ghastly  woollen 
caricatures  which  they  have  superseded."  Ferns,  to  he  sure, 
have  been  a  great  help  and  a  great  attraction ;  hut  they 
are  by  no  means  so  readily  grown  in  rooms  as  some  things 
to  be  presently  mentioned;  nor  are  they  supreme  as  regards 
verdure  and  elegance.  By  a  combination  of  all  the 
plants  suitable  for 

this    purpose,    we  *''°-  ^"i- 

may  not  only  find 
very  agreeable  in- 
door employment, 
but  create  the 
highest  kind  of  or- 
nament and  inte- 
rest in  the  house 
at  all  seasons. 

Not  only  are  we 
deficient  as  regards 
the  better  kinds  of 
plant  ornament  in 
bouses,  but  abo 
in  laige  gardens — 
with  far  greater 
means  of  readily 
developing  it  than 
occur  on  the  Con- 
tinent. Merely  displaying  a  few  popular  or  showy  sub- 
jects is  not  plant  decoration  in  any  high  sense !  Rooms 
are  often  overcrowded  with  ornaments,  many  of  them 
exact  representations  of  natural  objects  j  but  in  the  case  of 
the  plants  we  may,  without  inconvenience,  enjoy  and  pre- 
serve the  living  natural  objects  themselves.  Those  we  em- 
ploy for  this  purpose  now  are  mostly  of  a  fleeting  character, 
and  such  as  cannot  be  preserved  in  health  for  any  length  of 
time  in  living  rooms.  But  if  in  addition  to  the  best  of 
these  we  select   handsome-leaved  plants  of  a  leathery  tex- 


Marant&  taaciala. 


264      THE    PLANT  DECOB&TION   OV   APARTMENTS. 

tore,  accnatomed  to  withstand  the  fierce  heats  of  hot 
coontries,  we  shall  find  that  the  dry  and  dusty  air  of  a 
living  room  is  not  at  all  iDJurious  to  them,  and  that  it  is 
quite  easy  to  keep  them  iu  health  for  months  and  even  for 
years  in  the  same  apartments. 

Fio.  102. 


Drac«as  tonnintlia. 

They  would  apeak  to  us  of  many  distant  lands ;  interest 
na  by  their  gfrowth  under  our  care  ;  teach  us  the  wonderfol 
Tariety  and  riches  of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  and  prove  them- 
selves quiet,  unobtrusive  firieuds.  The  variety  of  form  and 
grace  of  outline  which  many  of  these  plants  possess,  may  to 
some  extent  be  judged  of  by  the  illustrationH  scattered  through 


THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OF  APARTMENTS.   265 


this  chapter.  Many  of  them  are  exotics  that  in  thia  coontry 
are  rarely  seen  out  of  stoves,  while  about  Paris  they  are  sold  in 
.abuBdaiice  for  the  decoration  of  apartments.  The  demand 
for  use  in  private  houses  gives  rise  to  a  large  and  special 
branch  of  trade  in  many  of  the  nurseries,  and  I  know  one 
Versailles  cultivator  who  annuallyraiaes  and  sells  5000  ot6000 


Gymnoslftchyum  Verscbsflelli. 


planta  of  the  hright-leaved  Dracsena  terminalis  (Fig.  102) 
alone,  and  by  far  the  greater  part  for  room  decoration. 

As  compared  with  the  plant  decorations  of  one  of  the  halls 
at  the  H6tel  de  Ville,  anything  seen  in  the  British  lalea  is 
poor  indeed ;  while  the  way  plants  are  arranged  at  the 
Linnean  and  Royal  Societies  and  other  important  placeSj  on 


266   THE  PLANT  DECOBATIOK  OF  APAETHEHTB. 

Special  occanons,  ia  almost  sa£Bcient  to  prevent  people  tole- 
rating  tbem  indoors  at  all,  and  yet  the  plants  are  much 
better  grown  in  England  than  they  are  in  France.  The  dif- 
ference ia  canaed  by  exceedingly  tasteful  and  treqaently  pe- 
culiar arrangement,  and  by  employing  effective  and  gracefol 
kinds.  What  the  Parisians  do  as  regards  arrangement  may 
perhaps  be  beat  gleaned  if,  before  selecting  the  kinds  moat 


DiefienbachiK  leguina  macolaU. 

deserving  of  indoor  culture,  I  describe  the  decorationa  for 
one  of  the  balls  at  the  H6tel  de  Ville. 

Entering  the  Salle  St.  Jean,  the  eye  was  immediately 
attracted  by  a  luxuriant  mass  of  vegetation  at  one  end; 
whUe  on  the  right  and  immediately  round  a  mirrored  recess 
was  a  very  tasteful  and  telling  display  made  as  followa : — In 
front  of  the  large  and  high  mirror  stretched  a  bank  of  moss, 


THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OV  APAETMEHT8.      267 

common  moss  ondemeath,  and  tbe  snrlace  nicely  formed  of 
fresh  green  Lycopodinm  denticulatum,  the  irfaole  being 
dotted  over  Trith  the  variously-tinted  Chinese  Frimnlas — a 
bank  of  these  plants,  in  fact,  high  enough  in  its  back  parts 
to  be  reflected  in  the  mirror  with  the  taller  plants  which 
surrounded  it,  gradually  falling  to  the  floor,  and  merging 
into  the  groups  of  larger  plants  on  either  side  of  the  bank, 
the  whole  being  enclosed  by  a  low  gilt  wooden  trellis-wo^ 
margin.  The  groups  at  each  side  contrasted  most  beautifully 
with  this.    Oreen 

predominated,  but  fio.  io3. 

there  was  a  suffi< 
ciency  of  flower, 
while  beauty  of 
form  was  fully 
developed.  In  the 
centre  and  back 
parts  of  these 
groups  were  tall 
specimens  of  the 
common  Sugar- 
cane (Saccharum 
officinamm)  which 
held  their  long 
and  boldly 'arching 
leaves  well  over 
the  group.  These 
were  supported 
by  Palms,  which 
threw  their  graceful  hues  over  the  specimen  Camellias,  which 
were,  in  their  turn,  graced  here  and  there  by  the  presence  of 
a  Dracsena  or  dwarf  Palm ;  and  so  down  to  the  front  edge, 
where  Cinerarias,  forced  bulbs,  Primulas,  and  Ferns,  finished 
off  the  groups,  all  very  closely  placed,  so  that  neither  the 
lower  part  of  the  stems,  nor  a  particle  of  any  of  the  pots, 
conld  be  seen.  Any  interstices  that  happened  to  remain 
between  the  bases  of  the  plants  were  compactly  filled  with 
fresh  green  moss,  which  was  also  pressed  against  the  little 
gilt  trellis-work  which  enclosed  the  whole,  so  that  from  the 


Aloconia  metsllica. 


268      THE   PLANT   DECORATION    OF   AFAETHENTB. 

nppermoBt  point  of  the  Cane  leaves  to  the  floor  nothing  was 
Been  but  fresh  green  foliage  and  gracefol  forms,  enshrouding 
the  ordinary  flowers  of  our  greenhouses,  that  are  infinitely 
more  attractive  when  thus  set  in  the  verdure  of  which 
nature  is  bo  proAiae,  and  which  is  always  so  abundant  where 
her  charms  of  vegetation  are  at  their  highest. 

A  scene  such  aa  this  explains  the  prevalence  of  these 
graceful  and  noble-leaved  plants  in  Paris  gardens  and  in 


.^^hmea  fuIg«DB. 

Parisian  flower-shops  and  windovrs ;  for  you  may  frequently 
see  elegant  little  Dracsenaa  ornamenting  windows  there,  and 
aa  they  look  as  well  at  Christmas  as  at  midsummer,  I  need 
hardly  suggest  how  highly  suited  they  are  for  purposes  of 
this  kind.  The  number  of  Dractenas  ctdtivated  in  and 
around  Paris  is  something  enormous,  and  among  the  newer 
species  of  these — not  alluding  to  the  coloured-leaved  kinds 
— are  some  that  combine  grace  with   dignity  as  no  other 


THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OF  APARTHKNT8. 


plants  combine  tbem.  They  are  useful  for  the  centres  of 
noble  groups  of  plants  in  their  larger  forms,  while  the  smaller 
species  may  be  advantageously  associated  with  the  Maiden- 
hair Fern  and  the  Cinerarias  of  the  conservatory  bench. 
They  are  of  the  greatest  utility  in  these  decorations,  and 
are  largely  used  in  all  parts.  So  are  moat  kinds  of  fine- 
leaved  plants,  from  Fhormium  to  Ficus.  Young  Palms  are 
also  cultivated  to  an  enormous  extent  about  Faris ;  and  so  ia 
every  green  and  gracefully-leaved  plant,  from  the  Cycada  to 
the  common  trailing 

Ivy, — ^uaed     a     good  Fw.  107, 

deal  to  make  living 
screens  of.  With 
such  plants  they  have 
but  little  trouble  to 
find  materials  for  this 
kind  of  embellish- 
ment. 

The  wide  staircase 
ascending  irom  the 
entrance  hall  had  also 
a  charming  array  of 
plants  so  placed  that 
the  visitors  seemed  to 
^ass  through  a  sort  of 
floral  grove  —  fine- 
leaved  plants  arching 
over,  but  not  rising 
veiy  high,  and  having 
a  profusion  of  flowering  things  among  and  beneath  them. 
As  the  bank  of  Primulas  and  the  groups  of  tall  plants  were 
placed  opposite  this  staircase,  and  reflected  in  the  great  mirror 
behind,  the  effect  wbeu  descending  the  staircase  was  fasci- 
nating indeed.  A  still  finer  effect  was  produced  in  a  room 
near  the  great  dancing  saloon,  and  through  which  the 
guests  passed  to  the  magnificent  ball-room.  Against  each 
pillar  in  this  saloon  was  placed  a  tall  palm  with  high  and 
arching  leaves  like  those  of  Seaforthia  elegans,  and  others 
with  longer  leaves  and  pendulous  leaflets.     These  meeting, 


Caladium  argj rites. 


270   THE  PLANT  DECOEATION  OF  APAETHENT8. 

or  almost  meeting  acnxn,  produced  a  very  gracefiil  and 
impoaing  eSeet,  while  rotiud  them  were  arranged  other 
plants  distinguished  either  by  beauty  of  leaf  or  flower,  and 
the  groups  at  each  pillar  connected  by  single  rows  of  dwarf 
plants,  closely  placed,  however,  and  well  mossed  in,  as  in  the 


Cakdiam  mirabils, 

case  of  the  more  important  groups.  The  very  close  placing 
of  the  plants  is  a  peculiar  part  of  the  arrangement — you 
cannot  notice  auy  dividing  marks  or  gapa,  yet  there  is  no 
awkward  crowding.  The  fact  is  that  with  an  abundance  of 
plants  distinguished  by  beauty  of  form,  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  make  a  mistake  in  arranging  them. 


THE  PLANT  DECOEATION   OF  APABTKENTB.      271 

These  Eurangements  are  infinitely  varied  at  the  great 
balls,  both  public  and  private ;  rocks,  water  grottoes,  and 
similar  decorations,  are  occasionally  introduced,  both  in- 
doors and  in  the  open  air,  and  in  the  gardens  behind  pri- 
rate  houses.  The  Tuileries  Gardens  at  the  time  of  the  great 
fStes  vere  largely  decorated  in  this  way,  each  of  the  nume- 
rona  lamp-posts  having  a  bed  of  flowers  around  it,  and  the 
whole  scene  being  turned  into  a  kind  of  conservatory  in  a 
few  days.     The  number  of  flowers  required  to  do  this  was 


PCeria  cretica  albo-liaeata. 

Bometbing  enormous ;  and  when  it  is  considered  that  at  the 
same  time  great  quantities  of  plants  were  arranged  both 
indoors  and  out,  in  other  great  public  and  private  buildings, 
some  &int  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  enormoos  extent  to 
which  plant  decoration  is  carried  out  in  Faria. 

To  go  more  fully  into  details  would  be  useless— very  few 
words  serve  to  explain  the  difference  between  their  system 
and  ours.  It  simply  consists  in  the  use  of  a  far  greater 
number  of  fine-leaved  subjects   on    their   part.     This,   of 


272      TBE  PLANT  SECOEATION   OB  APABTHBNT8. 


course,  has  a  greater  effect  in  popularizing  the  use  of  plants 
in  houses  j  for  how  can  jon  make  beautiful  arrangements  in 
this  vay  if  yon  ignore  the  higher  beauties  of  plant  form  ? 
The  fashion  as  carried  out  in  such  instances  as  the  above 
carries  its  influences  through  every  grade  of  society.  Thus 
yon  see  people  with 
a  graceful  Yucca 
or  young  Palm,  or 
New  Zealand  Hax, 
in  their  windows 
and  rooms,  who,  if 
in  England,  would 
not  in  all  probabi- 
lity have  had  an 
idea  of  the  exist- 
ence of  such  things. 
The  extent  to  which 
the  floral  embellish- 
ment of  the  Hdtel 
de  Ville  is  carried, 
may  be  judged 
from  the  great 
numbers  of  plants 
grown  at  Passy  for 
that  purpose — the 
New  Zealand  Flax 
which  is  so  very 
useful  for  indoor  or 
outdoor  decoration 
being  grown  to  the 
extent  of  upwards 
of  10,000  plants,  and  Palms  and  all  plants  with  fine  leaves 
in  great  quantity. 

The  following  few  notes  on  the  principal  plants  which 
serve  for  window  and  room  decoration  in  Paris  are  by 
M.  A.  Chantin,  a  cultivator  of  plants  for  these  purposes 
on  a  large  scale,  and  the  possessor  of  a  very  rich  collection 
of  Palms  and  other  exotica  distinguished  by  beauty  of  leaf 
or  habit.    ■  Among  these,  the  Palms,  without  doiibt,  occupy 


Begonia  danlalea. 


I  PLANT  DECORATION  OF  APAETHBNT8. 


273 


the  most  important  position,  are  most  geaerally  used, 
becaoae  of  their  hardy  character  and  moderate  price,  and 
among  the  very  best  are  the  fan-palms  —  Chanueropa 
hamilis  and  excelsa.  Coiypha  australis,  although  now  but 
little  known  as  a  house  plant,  is  destined  in  a  short 
time  to  occupy  a  foremost  place  in  the  decoration  of  apart- 
ments. It  is  conspicuous  for  its  peculiar  beauty,  and  the 
number  of  its  leaves,  and  is,  I  believe,  the  most  hardy  and 
enduring       of 

all  the  Palms  Fio.  in. 

for  indoor  cul- 
ture. Cocos 
coronata  and 
Sezuosa  are 
very  elegant, 
and  produce  a 
charming 
feet.  Latania 
borbonica  is 
certainly  one 
of  the  moat 
valuable  plants 
of  this  family, 
and  is  valued 
asmuchforthe 
deep  yet  fresh 
green  of  its 
leaves  as  for  its 
hardiness  and 
elegant  appear- 
ance. Fhcenix 
dactyl  if  era, 

leonensis,  and  reclinata  are  very  much  sought  after,  and  are 
highly  esteemed,  also  Areca  alba,  lutescens,  and  rubra. 

The  following  Palms  could  be  used  with  great  advantage 
in  the  decoration  of  apartments  ;  but  their  high  price  and 
great  rarity  cause  them  to  be  not  much  known,  although 
they  accommodate  themselves  to  the  atmosphere  of  rooms 
as  well    as    any  of   those    previously  mentioned.      Areca 


274 


THE   PLANT   DECORATION    O?   ATARTUENTE. 


aapids,  moat  of  the  species  of  the  genus  Caryota,  Chams 
dorea  amazonica  and  elatior,  Chamserops  Palmetto,  Else! 
gnineeiisis,  Euterpe  edulis,  with  its  finely-serrated  and  rer; 
graceful  foliage ;  Oreodoxa  regia,  young  plants  of  whici 
are  very  frequently  used ;  Phoenix  pumila,  Phcenix  teuoii 


DieSenbacliia  BaraqntnianA. 


Bhapis    flahelliformiB,  Thrinax    argentea,   T.   elegans,  an< 
Leopoldiua  pulchra. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Palms  -we  must  place  tii 
Dracienas.  Those  which  are  the  most  frequently  uoticei 
are  Dracena  anstralis,  cann^folia,  congesta,   indivisa,   in 


THE   PLANT   DECORATION    OF   APARTMENTS. 


275 


divisa  lineata,  rubra,  atricta,  terminalia,  and  umbracidifera. 
Tbose  most  easily  managed,  and  therefore  the  most  popular 
for  vindow  ornaments,  are  Dracsna  cougesta,  rubra,  and 
termiualis,  Pandauiis  utilis,  amaryllifohus  Yandenueerschi, 
and  javanicus  variegatus;  Cycas  revoluta,  and  varieties  of 
Aspidistra,  occupy  alao  a  very  important  place  in  the  decora- 
tiou  of  apartments. 

The  plants  compos-  ^'°-  ''3- 

ing  the  following  list, 
although  suitable  and 
distinct  in  appearance, 
require  somewhat  more 
care  and  attention 
than  the  preceding. 
Several  species  of 
Aralia,  more  especially 
Aralia  Sieboldi ;  Bam- 
busa  j  aponica  variegata 
and  B.  Fortuaei  varie-  - 
Tata }  the  different 
varieties  of  Begonia; 
most  of  the  Bromelias ; 
Billbergias  and  alljed 
&milics  are  very  use- 
ful, including  the 
variegated  Pine- apple, 
which  forms  a  splen- 
did object  for  placing 
in  lai|;e  warm  rooms 
OB  special  occasions. 
Caladium  odorum,  for  winter  decoration,  aud  the  species 
vith  the  beautifully-spotted  aud  motUed  leaves,  for  the 
summer;  Carludovica  palmata  and  plicata;  Croton  pic- 
turn,  pictnm  variegatum,  aud  discolor;  Curculigo  recur- 
vata,  and  several  species  of  the  genus  Dieffenbachia.  The 
Ficus  elastica  is  a  capital  plant  for  window  ornament,  and 
some  years  ago  was  very  much  employed  for  that  purpose ; 
but  since  it  has  become  somewhat  common  Ficus  Chauvieii 
has  been  substituted  for  it  in  many  places.  There  are  many 
t2 


Geeneri  ciaaabsriun 


276 


THE   PLAITT   DECORATTON    OF   APAETHKNTS. 


otber  FicoBee  wbich  are  Bnitable  for  this  purpose,  and  will 
be  found  moat  iiseful  vhen  they  become  plentiful  enough. 
Maranta  zebrina  is  the  only  species  of  Maranta  Bnit- 
able for  cultivation  in  apartmentB,  as  all  the  other  species 
should  be  grown  and  kept  in  the  houses,  and  only  intro- 
duced to  the  house  when  extra  attractions  are  desired  for 
special  occasions.     Several  species  of  Musa  are  favonrites, 


SaiifrsgB  Fortonei  tricoli 


but  principally  M.  discolor  and  M.  rosea ;  Mnsa  Eiisete  is 
particularly  suitable  for  room  culture,  but  it  is  still  so 
scarce,  and  of  such  a  high  price,  that  it  is  but  seldom  met 
with.  Monstera  deliciosa  was  much  sought  after  dur- 
ing recent  winters,  and  has  in  most  places  thriven  so 
well  that  it  has  given  general  satisfaction.  Several 
varieties  of  Beaucamea  are  suitable  for  rooms,  and  pro- 
duce a  very  beautiful  and  graceful  effect  when  grown  in 


TH£  PLANT  DECOBATION  OF  AFABTMENTS. 


277 


sospended  vases  or  baskets.  Biiopala  corcovadense  is  a 
plant  that  exhales  a  somewhat  disagreeable  odour,  bat  it  ia 
Qerertheless  much  sought  after,  on  account  of  its  very 
elegant  and  graceful  appearance  during '  the  development  of 
its  young  leaves.  -  Hecktia  pitcaimifolia  is  capital  for  sub* 
pending  in  baskets.  Tradescantia  discolor,  Phormiimi  tenax, 
Rhododendrons,  Camellias,  Grevillea  robusta,  EuonymuHi 
Aacubas,  Bonapartea,  Agaves,  variegated  Yuccas,  &c.,  are 
also  frequent.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  common  Fio.  lis. 
Saxi&aga  sarmeutosa, 
which  is  frequently  seen 
vith  its  slender  munera 
pendant  from  window 
baskets  in  England, 
several  other  allied  spe- 
cies would  prove  equally 
useful  in  the  same  way 
— Saxifraga  Fortune! 
variegata,  and  S.  cus- 
cutseformis,  for  exam- 
ple. 

The  family  of  Ferns, 
although  classed  among 
plants  with  delicate  tis- 
sues, and  having  a  great 
dislike  to  dry  hot  at- 
mospheres, nevertheless 
furnishes  numerous  ex- 
amples which,  with 
careful  management,  add  very  much  to  the  beauty  of 
apartments.  Thus  I  have  very  frequently  remarked  several 
species  of  Adiantum,  which,  wherever  they  can  be  preserved 
in  good  health,  produce  without  doubt  a  most  pleasing 
effect.  Pteris  argyrsa,  F.  cretica  albo  lineata,  and  P.  ser- 
mlata  variegata  likewise  produce  a  good  effect  with  their 
prettily  marked  fronds.  Alsophila  australis  and  Dicksonia 
antarctica  are  also  sometimes  employed  for  decorative  par- 
poses  in  rooms  of  large  dimensions,  where  their  magnificent 


Mftraata  vittato. 


278 


THE  PLANT  DECOKATION  OV  AFAKTMENTS. 


appearance  never  fails  to  produce  a  pleasing  impression. 
N^liTolepis  exaltata  is  universally  useful,  and  standa  the 
air  of  rooms  without  the  slightest  injury. 

Until  recently,  I  had  little  belief  in  the  utihty  of  Orchids 
tea  Uus  purpose,  but  experience  has  shown  me  that  they 
may  be  introduced  into  a  drawing-room  with  perfect  success, 
the  plants  not  having  suffered  in  the  least  by  the  change  of 
atmosphere.  The  moat  suitable  Orchids  are  the  various 
species  of  Cattleya,  Vanda, 
f'o- 116.  Aerides,     and    Cypripedium. 

Doubtless  the  time  is  not  far 
distant  when  we  may  venture 
to  try  many  more  kinds  than 
we  can  now  afford  to  do ;  but 
even  from  what  we  have  al- 
ready done  in  that  way,  I  en- 
tertain uo  doubt  that  the  Or- 
chid family  will  eventually 
furnish  the  most  valuable  of 
all  plants  for  room  decoration. 
True  they  may  not  live 
throughout  the  year  in  rooms 
as  Ficuses  and  such  plants  do, 
hut  that  is  not  desirable — 
their  appearance,  as  a  rule, 
not  being  prepossessing  when 
out  of  flower.  The  qualify 
t  that  they  do  posaesa,  and  that 
which  makes  them  so  valuable, 
is,  the  thick  succulent  texture 
Tillnnibia  oplonden..  °^  ^^^  flowers  generally.     This 

enables  them  to  continue  a 
long  time  in  bloom  in  a  room,  and  a  like  kind  of  texture 
enables  the  leaves  to  stand  during  the  blooming  time  without 
injury. 

We  ourselves  are  foremost  so  far  as  flowering  plants  are 
concerned,  ours  being  as  a  rule  better  grown.  One  plant, 
however,  cultivated  in  great  abundance  around  Paris  for 
winter  blooming,  is  well  worthy  of  increased  attention — 


THE  PLANT  DECORATION  OV   AFARTHENTS.    279 

Epiphyllimi  tnmcatum.     There  are  several  Tarieties,  and 
they  certainly  form  most  beautiful  objects  on  dull  December 


FanduiaB  jaTaniciu  TariegaloB. 

days.     The  employment  of  simple  materials  is  also  deserving 
of  commendation.     Thus  the  variegated  form  of  the  common 


280        BEFORK  IN  THE  C0N8EEVAT0ET. 

Boast-beef  plant — Iris  foetidissima — may  be  seen  occasionally 
used  with  good  effect.  We  mostly  use  hot-country  plants 
if  we  want  J;hose  that  live  long  in  our  dwelling  rooms^ 
but  this  is  a  true  hardy  natiye  which  well  deserves  culture 
indoors^  though  in  the  open  air  it  never  presents  a  very 
striking  variegation — ^looks  rather  undecided^  in  fact.  It 
forms  a  very  pretty  plant  for  room  decoration^  requires  none 
but  the  most  ordinary  attention^  and  is  easily  obtained.  In 
France  the  plant  is  rather  commonly  used  as  an  edging. 
The  Acanthuses  too^  and  particularly  A.  lusitanicus  used  so 
effectively  out-of-doors^  are  also  grown  abundantly  in  rooms, 
where  they  do  very  well.  Everything  proved  to  do  well 
indoors  without  the  protection  of  a  case  is  a  gain  to  the 
very  large  class  who,  from  choice  or  necessity,  like  to  grow 
plants  in  rooms. 

Reform  in  the  Conservatory. 

There  are  few  things  more  worthy  of  the  attention  of 
the  numbers  interested  in  indoor  gardening  in  this  country 
than  the  superior  mode  of  embellishing  conservatories  and 
winter  gardens  which  is  the  rule  in  France  and  on  the 
Continent  generally.  Conservatories  and  similar  structures 
are,  it  is  true,  scarcer  abroad  than  at  home,  but  whenever 
they  are  erected  they  are  gracefully  verdant  at  all  times, 
being  filled  with  handsome  exotic  evergreens,  planted  and 
arranged  so  as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  mass  of 
luxuriant  vegetation,  and  not  that  of  a  glass  shed  filled 
with  pots  and  prettiness  with  which  we  are  all  so  familiar. 

We  build  more  glass  houses  than  any  other  nation,  but 
have  as  yet  nearly  everything  to  learn  as  to  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  most  important  of  them,  or  what  is  usually 
called  the  conservatory.  This  in  some  form  is  an  adjunct 
to  a  large  class  of  country  and  suburban  houses ;  sometimes 
it  is  well  placed  and  an  ornament  to  the  house,  but  more  fre- 
quently a  thing  which  to  a  tasteful  person  would  seem  better 
placed  among  the  out-offices.  When  unsatisfactory,  the  cause 
is  in  the  structure  of  the  building  or  in  its  contents — often 
in  both,  generally  in  the  latter.     As  regards  the  form  and 


REFORM    IN   THE   CON8KRVATORT. 


281 


style  of  building  little  need  be  said,  as  tbe  imprOTement 
Tequired  seems  bo  obvious.  When  conservatories  are  bnilt 
near  the  house  they  should  always  present  a  somewbat 
permanent  and  architectural  character,  and  be  removed  aa 
far  as  possible  in  stability  and  appearance  firom  glass  sheds. 
This  is  desirable  for  several  reasons — chiefly  the  propriety  of 
having  a  presentable  and  lasting  structure   in  aueh  an  im- 


Cordjlii 


portant  position,  and  the  fact  that  plants  and  flowers  show 
to  greater  advantage  in  a  subdued  light  than  in  that  of  the 
glass  shed.  For  growing  plants  you  cannot  as  a  rule  have 
too  much  light ;  but  when  in  flower  their  effect  is  much 
heightened  by  being  placed  in  a  subdued  light.  Those  vho 
consider  for  a  moment  the  charming  effect  of  the  flowers 
onder  the  thick  canvas  of  the  great  flower-show  tent  in  the 


282       EEFOEH  IK  THE  CONSBETATORT. 

Begenf  8  Fark,  as  compared  irith  the  aspect  of  the  Bftme 
plsnts  in  a  well-lighted  conservatory  or  placed  in  the  open 
air,  will  have  no  difficulty  in  appreciating  the  truth  of  this. 
It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  things  that  are  -worthy 
of  culture  for  their  leaf-beanty  alone  always  associate  well 
with  substantial  surroundings. 


Tree  Fom  for  ConMiTSlory. 

But  the  grand  improvement  to  be  effected  b  in  the  con- 
tents of  conservatories.  They  wiU  never  be  truly  enjoyable 
until  we  display  in  them  beauty  of  form.  Numerous  rea- 
sons urge  m  to  endeavour  to  make  a  change  in  this  respect. 
The  aspect  of  the  greater  number  of  conservatories  through- 


KEFOBH   IN   THE  C0N8EBTAT0BT.  283 

oat  the  country  is  paltry  in  the  extreme,  except  perhaps 
vhen  the  flush  of  flover  in  early  summer  diverts  our  eyes 
from  the  faults  of  a  structure  bo  little  conserratiTe  of  the 
elegant  forms  and  bewitching  grace  which  make  Hie  vege- 
table world  so  attractiTe.  Having  these  structures  staring 
point-blank  at  our  drawing-rooms  in  numerous  instances,  it 
is  clearly  desirable  to  m^e  them  presentable.  We  build 
hothouses  to  enable  us  to  enjoy  the  vegetation  of  warmer 
and  more  favoured  countries.  Let  ua  enjoy  it,  then,  and 
not  delude  ourselves  by  cramming  our  conservatories  with 


Poljpodium  morLillosuQi. 

all  the  popular  small  fry,  from  the  Cineraria  to  the  Azalea. 
Such  things  may  pleaae  the  enthusiastic  amateur  of  these 
and  like  plants ;  but  plants  are  capable  of  higher  work 
than  that,  and  nothing  can  be  hoped  for  the  conserratory 
until  a  nobler  type  of  vegetation  is  not  only  represented, 
but  predominates. 

Flowers  of  a  similar,  if  not  of  a  nearly  identical  type  to 
the  popular  ones  mentioned,  abound  in  our  gardens  during 
summer,  and  there  is  consequently  no  necessity  for  letting 
them  predominate  indoors  j  while  on  the  other  hand  those 
wonderful  aspects  of  vegetation  which  we  can  never  produce 


284 


REFORM   IN  THE   CON  SEAT  ATOBT. 


oat  of  doors  ia  this  conntiy  may  be  obtained  under  glasi 
-without  difficulty.  The  temperature  of  conservatories  gene- 
rally is  sufficient  to  develope  as  noble  a  type  of  Tegctation 
as  the  hottest  atovej  ao  objectionable  &om  its  heat  and 
moistore.  The  grandest  of  aU  the  Banana  tribe  (Muaa 
Enaete)  thrives  healthfully  in  a  cool  house,  irhile  the  Pal- 
metto Palm  of  the  Southern  States  of  America,  the  Fan 
Palm  of  Europe,  Chamcerops  excelaa,  and  the  gracefid 
Seaforthla  elegans,  and  many  other  Palms,  do  the  same. 

Fio.  122. 


Blechniun  broBilieme. 


Nothing  even  among  Palms  can  surpass  the  effective 
grace  of  such  Dracienas  as  lineata,  Bumphi,  umbraculifera, 
Draco  (before  it  gets  very  old  and  branched),  brasiliensis, 
caniuefolia,  and  anstralis ;  and  they  all  grow  well  in  the  cool 
and  agreeable  temperature  of  the  conservatory.  Numerous 
Ferns,  from  those  great  Dicksonias  which  at  the  Antipodes 
rival  or  surpass  the  Palms  in  grace,  to  the  Woodwardias, 


BBFOBU  IN  THE  CONSEBTATORT.  285 

which  spread  about  mich  great  froiidB  covered  with  swarma 
of  little  plants  on  their  surface,  grow  under  such  con- 
ditioDB  without  trouhle,  compared  to  what  the  commoner 
and  smaller  stuff,  as  the  gardeners  call  it,  requires.  For 
instance,  a  Dracsena,  growing  in  a  pot  or  planted  out, 
never  requires  any  attention  beyond  watering,  whereas  a 
Pelargonium  must  be  cut  down  and  regrown  every  year. 


Tbeophi&ata  macrapb^lla. 

causing  much  labour  for  staking,  &c.  And  it  is  not  only 
the  Palms,  Cycads,  Tree  Ferns,  Braccenas,  and  fine-leaved 
plants  generally  which  thrive  throughout  the  year  in  a  cool 
temperature  that  we  may  enjoy  therein ;  nearly  all  similar 
plants  that  flourish  in  stoves  would  well  bear  being  intro- 
duced to  the  cool  conservatory  or  winter  garden  after  their 
vigorous  spring  and  early  summer  growth  had  been  matured. 
Left  there  during  the  hottest  months  they  would  be  more 


286        EEFOBM  IN  THE  CONSEEVATORT. 

appreciated  than  if  in  a  hot  stove^  and  they  could  be  taken 
back  to  their  winter  quarters  in  early  autumn. 

But  perhaps  the  best  plea  in  favour  of  the  fine-leaved  grace- 
fuUy-built  plants  that  can  be  urf;ed  to  the  generality  of  culti- 
vators, is  that  they  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  ordinary  flower- 
ing subjects  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and  that  by  their  aid 
one-sixth  the  amount  of  flowers  will  sufBce  to  produce 
a  more  beautiful  effect  than  was  ever  obtained  by  the  use 
of  the  blooming  plants  alone.  This  is  a  great  point  at  all 
times,  and  particularly  in  winter,  when  flowers  are  scarce. 
In  winter  too  the  aspect  of  houses  arranged  on  the  system 
I  advocate  is  quite  as  good  as  in  summer,  and  more 
grateful  from  its  contrast  with  the  surrounding  dreariness ; 
and  in  summer,  when  abundance  of  flowering  plants 
may  demand  more  space  in  the  ^'  show  house,''  many 
of  the  fine-leaved  ones  may  be  placed  in  the  open  air, 
much  to  their  benefit  and  the  improvement  of  the  flower 
garden. 

The  greater  part  of  the  foregoing  having  appeared  in  The 
Held,  the  following  response  was  drawn  firom  one  of  its 
correspondents : — "  This  subject  has  long  been  engaging  my 
attention.  We  do  build  more  glass  houses  than  any  other 
nation,  for  every  suburban  villa  boasts  nowadays  of  the  so- 
called  conservatory ;  but  whether  these  adjuncts  are  orna- 
ments or  not  is  most  questionable.  In  nine  cases  out  of 
ten,  I  aflarm,  they  are  far  from  ornamental,  whether  viewed 
jfrom  the  inside  or  the  outside,  and  it  is  a  wonder  to  me 
that  people  consent  to  have  these  ill-shapen,  ill-adapted 
greenhouses  stuck  on  to  their  residences.  Any  one  visiting 
the  villas  built  within  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  of  London 
must  have  noticed  the  conservatories,  so  named,  attached  to 
the  houses.     I  ask,  are  they  even  sightly  ? 

"  But  there  is  a  point  I  wish  to  insist  upon  much  more 
than  upon  the  external ;  it  is  the  arrangement  of  the  plants 
inside.  What  do  we  find  as  a  general  rule  ?  Long  lines 
of  white  stages  with  sickly,  leggy  plants  in  pots  all  round 
the  house !  If  people  could  all  hire  efScient  gardeners, 
the  thing  would  be  different ;  the  conservatory  might  then 
be  filled  with  show  plants  and  specimen  shrubs  creditable 


REFORM  IN  THE  CONBBRTATOBr.        287 

alike  to  the  owner  and  to  his  gardener.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  the  gardener  could  do  but  little  with  only  one 
house ;  what  I  want  to  point  oat  is  the  advantage  to  be 
derived  from  a  totally  different  arrangement  of  the  house. 


Cjcaa  circiualia. 

Aa  you  say,  '  Let  us  enjoy  it,  then,  and  not  delude  onr- 
aelves  by  cramming  otu:  conservatories  with  all  the  popular 
small  fry,  from  the  Cineraria  to  the  Azalea.'  Just  so.  For 
goodness  sake  get  rid  of  all   those  weakly,  insect-infected 


288        REFORM  IN  THE  CONSERVATORY. 

Cinerarias,  Primulas,  Geraniums,  and  others,  and  plant  in 
borders  round  the  house  plants  and  shrubs  alike  easy  of 
cultivation  and  beautiful.  You  put  forward  a  plea  for  the 
fine-foliaged  plants  which  it  would  be  needless  for  me  to 
insist  upon.  Your  readers  must  see  that  what  I  am  aiming 
at  is  a  graceful  and  novel  kind  of  shrubbery  adjoining  the 
drawing-room,  rather  than  a  house  full  of  pots.  Why  not 
make  round  the  house  rich  borders  of  the  same  width  you 
would  have  devoted  to  these  unartistic  stages,  and  plant 
Camellias,  Ficus,  and  other  such  things  ?  You  mention  the 
names  of  many  suitable  plants  of  the  Palm  and  Fern  tribes, 
and  the  list  could  be  added  to  a  hundredfold  if  it  were 
necessary.  Let  us  only  see  the  attention  of  the  owners  of 
conservatories  directed  towards  this  point,  and  lists  of  plants 
will  soon  be  published  by  the  horticultural  firms. 

''  As  you  say,  the  aspect  of  these  houses  is  equally  beautiful 
in  summer  and  in  winter.  This  is  the  most  thorough  praise 
that  can  be  given  to  the  system.  To  pursue  the  subject 
yet  further  I  will  illustrate.  In  St.  Petersburg,  where  the 
climate  is  intensely  rigorous,  conservatories  are  even  more 
appreciated  than  here  at  home.  When  people  cannot 
afibrd  them,  you  will  find  their  rooms  crowded  with  plants 
of  the  Pahn  tribe  and  numerous  creepers,  which  thrive  well 
all  the  winter ;  and  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  windows 
are  not  opened  from  October  till  April.  In  the  conserva- 
tories of  the  wealthy  what  do  we  see  ?  A  shrubbery — a 
maze  of  luxuriant  foliage.  It  matters  not  whether  there  be 
50  degrees  or  60  degrees  of  frost :  the  promenade  round  the 
greenhouse — ^truly  a  greenhouse — ^is  always  agreeable,  always 
charming.  No  words  of  mine  could  give  your  readers  a 
true  idea  of  the  beauty  of  these  places,  nor  of  their  utility 
to  those  deprived  of  plants  and  trees  for  six  months  in  the 
year.  One  requires  to  see  these  plant  houses  thoroughly 
to  appreciate  them. 

'*  Your  readers  may  object  that  they  are  more  suited  to 
Russia  than  to  our  country.  Not  so.  Is  it  not  a  melancholy 
exhibition  to  see  our  conservatories  naked,  nearly  destitute 
of  bloom,  during  December  and  January,  and  equally 
disheartening  to  see  them  full  of  flowers  only  when  the 


KE70BU  IN   THE  C0N8EBTAT0BT.  289 

gardens  are  becoming  gay  ?  Depend  npon  it,  vhat  vre 
want,  and  what  will  some  day  be  the  cry,  is  an  agreeable 
promenade  attached  to  the  house — not  a  swanu  of  little 
plants  in  pots,  which  none  bnt  the  gardener  can  name  or 
appreciate.  And  then,  again,  look  at  the  simplicity  of  the 
cultivation  of  the  plants  whose  cause  I  advocate.  Plant 
them  fairly  in  the  border,  and  they  will  always  thrive. 
Azaleas,   Geraniums,  &c.,  are  constantly  requiring    to    be 


Al60|jhila. 


smoked  or  watered  with  manure  water.  Are  you  to  take 
them  outside,  or  into  another  house,  each  time  they  require 
such  attention  ?  If  not,  and  the  conservatory  adjoins  the 
drawing-room,  there  will  be  a  decidedly  unpleasant  aroma 
there  when  either  of  the  above-mentioned  processes  takes 
place.  I  could  go  on  to  show  other  advantages  connected 
with  the  system  I  am  endeavouring  to  put  fraward ;  I  conld 
attempt  a  description  of  the  plant  house  of  the  wealthy 


290 


AEFOEM   IN    THE   CONSEB,yATOB.T. 


banker,  Outchioe,  at  St.  Petersburg ;  bnt  I  feel  1  have 
already  said  too  mncli.  To  my  thinking,  it  is,  however,  a 
troly  important  topic,  and  I  hope  to  live  to  see  mOTe 
interest  taken  in  the  beauty  of  the  conservatory,  of  its  tout 
ensemble,  and  less  of  the  rarity  of  the  plants  and  flowers." 

To  any  person  with  a  knowledge  of  what  the  beauty  of 
vegetation  reaUy  is  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  correct- 
ness of  these  views.  The  rule 
therefore  in  every  conservatory 
in  the  land  should  be  to  use 
plants  of  handsome  foliage  or 
noble  habit.  Plant  them  in 
beds  or  borders ;  grow  them 
in  pots  or  tubs;  the  means, 
size,  and  requirements  of  the 
place  must  determine  on  what 
scale  the  thing  may  be  ^carried 
out.  In  some  degree  the  effect 
desired  may  be  produced  in  the 
smallest  greenhouse ;  where  the 
space  is  large  enough  to  deve- 
lope  the  effect  of  the  finer 
plants  named,  the  aspect  that 
may  be  wrought  by  their  taste- 
ful use  will  prove  ravishing, 
compared  to  that  of  the  old 
display  of  small-leaved,  ordi- 
nary-looking vegetation. 

In  planting  out,  select  things 
that  are  graceful  and  orna- 
mental during  the  whole  course 
of  their  natural  lives.  Do 
not  plant  subjects  which,  like  Acacias,  run  up  to  the  roof 
in  no  time,  giving  yon  a  mass  of  bloom  for  a  week  or 
two  in  spring,  and  a  great  mop>head  of  ugliness  for  the 
remtuoder  of  the  year.  A  great  many  greenhouse  planta 
grow  like  these ;  but  if  you  plant  out  a  Palm  like  Chanue- 
rops,  or  a  thing  like  the  New  Zealand  Flax  or  the  superb 
Mosa  Ensete,  they  are  presentable  and  satisfactory  at  all 


BEFOEH  IS  THE  CONBEETATOET. 


seasODs ;  and  besides,  do  not  run  tip  against  the  roof  in  a  few 
years,  like  many  New  Hollatid  and  other  greenhouse  plants. 

Every    conser- 
vatoiy  should  poa-  ^"'- 1^'- 

sesB,  in  proportion 
to  its  size,  a  cer- 
tain number  of 
green  and  grace  • 
fill  plantSjOr  those 
distinguished  by 
some  peculiar 
beauty  of  habit, 
which  are  ready 
at  all  times  for 
fresh  combina- 
tions, and  look  as 
well  in  mid -winter 
as  in  June.  These 
are  not  sought  for 
by  horticulturists 
generally,  but  cer- 
tain it  is  that 
without  them  we 
cannot  succeed  in 
the  successful  ar- 
rangement of  a 
conservatory  at  all 
seasons  without 
great  expense,  or 
even  with 
What  arc  flowers  i 
unless  set  ia  the  ' 
graceful  green 
among  which  we 
And  them  nestle 
in  a  wild  state  ? 

By    the    selec- 
tion of  a  great  number  of  things   which  flower  profusely — 
BO  profusely    aS    to    hide    the  leaves   in   many    instancea, 

v2 


T«itadiDBria  elephantipcn  (Elepbont's-foot  plant). 


292 


KEFOEH   IN  THE   CONSEETATOAT, 


Fio.  128. 


yODT  modem  cnltiTator  has  contrived  almost  to.  aimilu- 
late  leaf  beauty.  Nature  ia  strongly  vigorous  in  the 
production  of  leaves,  and  in  the  videst  spread  of  Heath  over 
a  mountain,  in  the  densest  mass  of  Bluebells  in  a  wood,  or 
in  any  natural  display  of  bloom  vhatever,  yon  find  the 
mass  toned  down  by  pointed  leaves,  and  in  the  case  of  the 
spreading  Heather  by  fringe  of  Polypody  and  cushion  of 
moist  mountain  moss,  if  you  go  near  to  it  and  examine  it. 
Everywhere  Na- 
ture seta  her 
flowers  incloudsof 
reireshing  green, 
andtherefore  those 
who  merely  culti- 
vate dense  flower- 
ing things,  and  do 
not  take  care  to 
relieve  them  with 
others  possessed 
of  sweet  grace  and 
verdure,  outrage 
nature,  and  offer 
nothing  worthy 
of  admiration  to 
the  educated  or 
tasteful  eye.  To 
have  all  the 
flowers  dished  up 
without  a  bit  of 
green,  is  like  eat- 
ing your  dinner  in  the  form  of  a  pill — a  great  saving  of 
time  no  doubt,  hut  still  utterly  destructive  of  the  joys  of 
the  table. 

A  not  unimportant  merit  of  the  subjects  I  so  strongly 
recommend  for  general  culture  is  the  great  ease  with  which 
they  are  cultivated ;  no  neat  staking,  delicate  attentions, 
or  repeated  pottings,  being  required.  They  may  be 
grown  with  nearly  equal  facility  in  pots  or  tubs  or  planted 
out.     The  continental  plan  of  divesting  the  interior  of  the 


EEFOaM   IK    THE    COKSEEVATOET.  398 

conservatoiy  of  all  fomiality  is  wdl  worthy  of  imitatioii 
with  vs.  Usually  an  attempt  to  create  a  picturesque  scene 
in  some  small  spot  with  formal  surroimdiiigB  has  a  ritUcuIoiu 
ending ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  luxuriant  growth  of  many 
plants  that  flourish  in  the  temperate  greenhouse,  it  is  poft* 
sible  to  sufBciently  hide  almost  every  trace  of  the  building 

Fio.  129. 


in  a  few  years.  With  little  lawns  made  of  Lycopoditun 
denticulatum^  tiny  winding  streamlets  bordered  with  New 
Zealand  Flax  and  graceful  Grasses,  Ferns,  and  the  lite ; 
groups  of  Tree-ferns,  Camellias,  and  Palms,  and  a  plant  of 
the  nohle  Musa  Ensete,  I  have  seen  some  winter  gardens 
made  really  worthy  of  the  name,  and  quite  as  charming 
as  veritable  bits  of  nature  in  climes  the  most  favoniable  to 


S94        EEFORM  IK  THE  CONSEEVATOET. 

vegetation.  Whether  the  natural  system  of  arrangement  be 
adopted  or  not^  every  attempt  should  be  made  to  soften  the 
lines  of  the  building  and  to  shroud  the  spot  with  graceful 
verdure.  The  use  of  hanging  baskets  with  creeping  plants 
cannot  be  too  much  recommended  where  this  end  is  to  be 
attained^  while  climbing  or  twining  plants  with  a  pendulous 
rather  than  an  erect  habit  in  the  branchlets^  flowering-spray, 
or  leaves  should  always  be  preferred.  A  claim  too  de- 
serves to  be  made  in  favour  of  singular  and  curious  plants — 
subjects  like  the  ElephantVfoot  plant  for  example.  The 
Monstera  with  the  perforated  leaves^  figured  in  the  chapter 
on  Subtropical  Gardening,  one  of  the  most  curious  as  well 
as  one  of  the  handsomest  of  fine-leaved  plants,  thrives 
tolerably  well  in  the  conservatory  in  summer;  indeed  I 
have  known  it  grown  well  where  it  had  to  pass  all  the 
winter  in  a  cool  house. 

In  large  places  where  stove  plants  are  grown,  much  im- 
provement might  be  effected  by  introducing  some  of  them 
into  the  conservatory  during  the  summer  months.  Stoves 
are  so  warm  during  that  period  that  they  are  seldom  visited, 
and  rarely  enjoyable,  and  it  could  hardly  be  otherwise  than 
a  gain  to  see  some  of  their  best  ornaments  in  the  cooler 
and  shaded  conservatory  during  three  or  four  of  the  warmer 
months.  Considering  the  number  of  exotics  that  have  been 
placed  in  the  open  garden  at  Battersea  during  the  past  few 
years,  there  is  little  need  to  say  that  the  temperature  of  a 
conservatory  will  be  enjoyed  by  many  stove  plants  during 
summer.  The  host  of  handsomely  marked  Caladiums,  and 
other  fine-foliaged  plants  that  are  now  in  cultivation,  should 
not  be  kept  at  all  times  in  a  steamy  house,  but  when  at 
their  best  exposed  where  people  may  see  and  enjoy  them. 
Take,  for  example,  that  noble  plant  the  variegated  Pine- 
apple— a  subject  never  seen  in  our  conservatories.  Usually 
treated  as  a  stove  plant,  and  growing  best  in  a  warm  tem- 
perature, it  may,  when  fully  grown,  be  employed  in  the  con- 
servatory, and  will  therein  attract  the  attention  of  everybody 
who  sees  it.  That  it  will  not  suffer  there,  is  evident  from 
the  fact  of  its  haviog  been  employed  in  the  open  air  in 
summer  in  the  gardens  at  Cliveden,  and  with  telling  effect. 


REFORM    IN    THE   C0N6EBVAT0RT. 


295 


It  also  bears  well  the  dry  air  of  a  liriDg  room ;  but  there 
are  many  stove  plants  with  leaves  having  a  soft  open 
texture  which,  while  they  will  not  bear  the  air  of  rooms, 
will  not  suffer  in  that  of  a  conservatory  iu  summer. 

As  for  Orchids,  hothouse  Ferns,  and  other  stove  plaota, 
which  do  not  bear  without  injury  the  temperature  of  the 
conservatory,  an  arrangement  might  be  readily  made  by 
which  they  also  could  be  enjoyed  in  this  structure,  A 
conservatory  heated  to  stove  temperature  would  be  intole- 


Anunassa  antiTii  Tuiegala. 

rable  near  the  house,and  is  not  desirable  elsewhere,  the  heat  of 
the  temperate  hou9e  being  so  agreeable  to  our  senses.  The 
best  way  to  secure  means  for  the  display  in  the  conservatory 
of  the  very  tender  subjects  alluded  to,  is  by  making  a 
closely- glazed  case  iu  some  convenient  spot  therein,  and 
fitting  it  up  with  rustic  shelves.  In  this  might  be  placed 
any  Orchids,  choice  Perns,  or  not  over-la^  stove  plants 
that  come  in  flower  at  any  time,  particularly  in  winter, 
spring,  and   autumn,  and  by  interspersing  them  with  the 


296  PALMS. 

pretty^  and  in  many  cases  beautifully  marked  plants  so 
common  of  late  in  our  stoves^  a  charming  feature  may  be 
added  to  the  conservatory.  As  the  plants  would  only 
remain  in  this  case  during  their  period  of  flowerings  and 
the  ^'foliaged  plants^^  perhaps  a  few  weeks  longer,  the 
position  of  the  case  as  to  light  matters  little.  Against  the 
back  or  some  other  wall  of  the  house  is  of  course  the  best 
position ;  and  if  there  be  an  arched  recess^  or  anything  in 
&at  way,  it  would  be  the  very  place  in  which  to  put  the 
case.  The  best  example  of  this  that  I  am  acquainted  with 
is  heated  with  a  few  small  pipes  from  the  kitchen,  which 
is  nearly  under  it ;  the  little  apparatus  being  distinct  from 
that  required  for  heating  the  conservatory  in  cold  weather. 
Of  course  it  could  be  readily  heated  in  that  way,  but  it  is 
found  more  convenient  and  economical  to  heat  it  distinctly. 
To  heat  a  little  boiler  sufficiently  to  keep  any  desired  tem- 
perature in  such  a  case  would  be  of  very  easy  accomplish- 
ment, and  to  do  it  with  gas  would  be  very  convenient 
mdeed  to  many  persons.  The  boilers  attached  to  some  of 
the  propagating  houses  in  the  Jardin  Fleuriste  at  Passy  are 
thus  heated  most  effectually,  and  the  propagator  informed 
me  that  he  could  regulate  the  temperature  to  a  degree  with 
this  mode  of  heating.  To  make  the  wall  and  the  shelves 
in  this  case  of  a  rustic  character  is  a  good  and  tasteful  plan; 
fliey  should  be  studded  with  Moss,  which  if  kept  moist  will 
give  off  the  vapour  so  congenial  to  stove  plants^  and  par- 
ticularly Orchids  and  Ferns,  and  the  windows  or  folding-doors 
should  be  fitted  with  large  glass,  kept  clear  at  all  times.  It 
would  be  easy  to  induce  the  common  Lyoopodium  and  other 
stove  mosses  to  crowd  over  the  back  wall,  or  even  to  grow 
on  turves  placed  along  the  front  shelves ;  and  if  the  rustic- 
work  were  well  done,  to  stud  every  spot  not  used  as  a 
standing-place  for  a  plant  with  seedling-ferns,  trailing 
plants,  &;c. 

Palms. 

In  conversing  one  day  with  M.Barillet,  the  superintendent 
of  the  parks  and  gardens  of  Paris,  he  informed  me  that  he 
was  more  surprised  at  the  marked  absence  of  Palms  in 


297 


Englisli  gardens  than  by  any  other  want,  and  Le  thooght 
this  the  more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  the  superb 
collections  of  exotics  grown  in  many  parts  of  this  country 
are  quite  unrivalled.  That  the  plants  which  combine 
the  qualities  of  dignity  and  grace  as  no  others  do,  should 
be  so  neglected  in 

a   country   where  ^'o- 131. 

vast  sums  are 
spent  upon  Orchids 
and  almost  every 
other  tribe  of 
exotics,  and  where 
these  are  culti- 
vated better  than  ■* 
anywhere  else,  is 
indeed  somewhat 
singular. 

The  Palms  are 
plants  that  we 
know  very  little 
about  as  a  rule ; 
but  this  is  not  at 
all  surprising,  for 
practically  they 
belong  to  a  dif- 
ferent world  to 
ours.  The  oppo- 
sites  in  every  vein 
of  their  structure 
of  our  wiry  twig- 
ged and  tortuous 
Oaks  and  Elms, 
they  are  as  far 
removed  from  them  geographically  as  structurally.  Avoid- 
ing the  cold  grim  North,  they  luxuriate  in  the  hottest 
and  moistest  regions  of  the  earth,  spread  for  thousands 
of  miles  along  the  banks  of  the  Amazon  and  Orinoco 
and  their  tributaries,  running  north  all  the  way  tbrougli 
the   Isthmus   and   Mexico,   crossing  the   Mississippi,  and 


CbamEdorea  latifolio. 


298  PALMS. 

fringing  the  Gulf.  They  appear  again  in  abundance  in 
the  Eastern  Archipelago,  they  form  impenetrable  forests  in 
tropical  Africa,  they  occur  frequently  in  North  Australia 
and  the  Pacific  Isles,  and  flourish,  in  fact,  in  almost  every 
torrid  country,  gradually  dying  out  towards  the  Poles, 
but  going  a  little  further  north  than  south,  and  ascending 
nearly  up  to  the  snow  line  in  Asia.  We  have  in  northern 
and  temperate  regions  our  gay  dwarf  meadow  flowers  set  in 
the  sweetest  grass;  our  Oaks  and  Ashes  and  graceful 
Birches ;  and  our  Firs,  which  are  among  the  finest  and 
most  majestic  subjects  of  the  vegetable  kingdom.  We 
have  our  exquisite  alpine  vegetation,  confessedly  inferior  to 
none ;  but  we  have  not  a  trace  of  the  noblest  of  all  plants 
as  regards  form,  the  Palms.  They  are  therefore  more 
worthy  of  being  grown  artificially  than  numerous  other 
exotics,  which  though  requiring  as  much  or  more  heat  than 
Palms  are  by  no  means  so  distinct  from  all  northern  types 
of  vegetation.  There  are  few  of  us  who  have  not  read  of  their 
grace  and  magnificence  in  the  Indian  isles  or  Amazonian 
forests ;  but  the  rather  humiliating  fact  remains  that  in  our 
practical  horticulture  they  are  almost  unknown.  From  an 
ornamental  point  of  view,  it  is  not  easy  to  over-estimate  the 
loss  this  is  to  high  gardening.  A  perfect  idea  of  what  they 
are  capable  of  doing  for  us  can  hardly  be  obtained  iintil 
small,  well-grown  specimens  of  the  most  elegant  kinds  are 
seen  in  abundance  at  our  flower  shows  and  in  our  plant 
houses. 

In  this  particular  respect  we  are  behind  the  Belgians 
and  the  French  who,  long  ago,  recognised  the  superiority 
of  Palms,  now  ctdtivate  them  by  thousands,  and  employ 
them  for  every  purpose  of  plant  decoration  in  rooms 
either  permanently  or  for  special  occasions,  in  green- 
houses, stoves,  and  for  the  open  garden  in  summer. 
Nurseries  like  Chantin's  at  Paris,  and  Verschaffelt's  at 
Ghent,  have  house  after  house  filled  with  Palms,  in  great 
variety,  some  very  rare  and  dear,  many  cheap  enough  for 
the  purse  of  the  poor  window  gardener.  It  should  be 
also  noted  that  they  cannot  be  propagated  in  quantity 
and  with  rapidity  like  many  popular  plants,  so  that  the 


formatioD  of  such  coUectioaa  has  taken  up  muclt  time  and 
paitifi.  It  should  be  observed  tbat  vhile  a  new  Verbena  or 
Felargonium  may  be  fashionable  for  a  season,  or  attractiTe 


for  a  few  months,  they  are  soon  lost  sight  of  or  perish ; 
whereas  Palms,  under  ordinary  treatment,  go  op  prospering 
from  year  to  year,  and  increasing  in  value.     Some  kinds 


800  PALMS. 

are  costly  in  the  beginning ;  but  there  is  a  great  difiPerence 
between  growing  subjects  which  at  the  end  of  several  years 
will  be  more  valuable  than  when  you  obtained  them^  and 
propagating  those  which  multiply  so  fast  with  yourself  and 
your  neighbours  that  they  soon  become  of  only  nominal 
value.  In  consequence  of  the  value  to  which  Palms  are 
sure  to  attain  in  the  future  for  the  decoration  of  large  con- 
servatories^ stoves^  and  any  plants  that  became  too  big  for 
small  inexpensive  greenhouses  or  stoves^  could  be  sold  or 
exchanged  to  those  wanting  large  subjects.  This  may  meet 
the  objection  of  those  who  regard  them  as  only  suited  for 
houses  like  the  great  Palm  stove  at  Kew.  They  may  be 
grown  by  everybody  in  possession  of  a  snug  pit,  greenhouse, 
stove,  conservatory,  or  fernery,  and  it  will  be  foimd  even- 
tually that  not  a  few  of  them — ^thanks  to  their  leathery  texture 
—will  flourish  in  the  dweUing-house  without  protection. 
Everybody  possessing  such  structures  and  in  the  habit  of  buy- 
ing plants,  should  secure  some  few  examples,  as  few  others  will 
furnish  such  lasting  satisfaction  to  the  buyer ;  and  there  are 
certainly  no  plants  in  existence  more  worthy  of  becoming 
the  fashion.  To  make  them  abundant  in  a  country  abound- 
ing with  things  grown  for  their  colour  alone,  will  be  to 
ennoble  its  gardening. 

It  is  tempting  to  trace  them  through  the  warmer  zones— 
to  speak  of  their  almost  innumerable  uses,  one  species  yield- 
ing Palm  oil,  another  Cabbages ;  of  their  striking  diversity  of 
size,  from  a  little  Oreodoxa  with  a  stem  no  thicker  than  one 
of  our  grasses,  to  Jub»a,  whose  stem  is  nearly  four  feet  in 
diameter;  of  the  species  that  spread  their  leaves  on  the 
ground,  and  there  rest  stemless  and  content,  to  those  that 
shoot  up  as  straight  as  the  columns  of  a  cathedral,  to  a 
height  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  feet,  waving  their 
plumes  far  above  forest  vegetation  as  vast  as  our  own  woods. 
Apart  from  its  beauty,  the  family  is  perhaps  the  most  useful 
of  all  to  man ;  but  we,  deriving  our  food  directly  or 
indirectly  from  the  grasses,  frequently  forget  their  great 
interest  in  this  respect. 

This  is  far  from  being  the  case  with  the  owner  of  a  cot- 
tage on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Negro.     The  rafters  of  his 


PALMS.  801 

dwelling  are  formed  by  the  straight  cylindrical  stems  of  the 
Jara  Palm;  the  roof  is  thatched  with  large  triangular 
leaves  neatly  arranged  in  regular  alternate  rows,  and  bound 
to  the  roof  with  forest  creepers :  the  leaves  are  those  of  the 
Carana  Palm.  The  door  of  his  house  is  a  framework  of 
thin  hard  strips  of  wood  neatly  thatched  over  with  the  split 
stems  of  a  species  of  Palm.  In  one  comer  stands  a  heavy 
harpoon  for  catching  fish,  made  of  the  black  wood  of  the 
Pashiuba  variegata.  By  its  side  is  a  blowpipe  ten  or  twelve 
feet  long,  and  hanging  near  it  a  little  quiverful  of  small 
poisoned  arrows,  with  which  the  Indian  brings  down  birds 
for  his  food,  or  for  the  sake  of  their  gay  feathers,  or  even 
slays  the  wild  Hog  or  Tapir ;  it  is  from  the  fierce  spines  of 
two  species  of  Palm  that  they  are  made.  His  great  bassoon- 
like musical  instruments  are  made  of  Palm  stems ;  the  cloth 
in  which  he  wraps  his  most  valued  feather  ornaments  is  a 
fibrous  Palm  spathe;  and  the  rude  chest  in  which  he  keeps 
his  treasures  is  woven  from  Palm  leaves.  His  hammock^ 
his  bow-string,  and  his  fishing-line  are  from  the  fibres  of 
leaves  which  he  obtains  from  difierent  Palm  trees,  according 
to  the  qualities  he  requires  in  them.  The  comb  which  he 
wears  on  his  head  is  ingeniously  constructed  of  the  hard 
bark  of  a  Palm ;  and  he  makes  fish-hooks  of  the  spines,  or 
nses  them  to  puncture  on  his  skin  the  peculiar  markings  of 
his  tribe.  His  children  eat  the  red  and  golden  fruit  of  the 
Peach  Palm,  and  from  another  species  he  prepares  a 
favourite  drink  which  he  offers  you  to  taste.  The  careftdly 
suspended  gourd  contains  oil  which  he  has  extracted  from 
the  fruit  of  another  species.  The  plaited  cylinder  used  for 
squeezing  dry  the  pulp  that  makes  his  bread  is  made  of  the 
bark  of  one  of  the  singular  climbing  Palms. 

What  veneration  this  man  must  have  for  the  noble 
family  of  Palms,  which  not  only  furnishes  him  with  many 
comforts  and  conveniences,  but  affords  him  a  choice,  so 
that  he  nicely  selects  the  kinds  that  best  suit  his  wants. 
Should  we  wonder  if  Palm  worship  were  a  common  creed  on 
the  Rio  Negro  ?  At  least  let  us  hope  that  they  never  kneel 
down  to  a  carved  idol  while  such  living  benefactors  as 
those  generous  Palms  are  to  be  found!     These  manifold 


803  PALMS. 

uses  came  within  the  obserration  of  011I7-  one  gentleman, 
Mr.  Wallace,  and  in  an  almost  unexplored  coantiy:  how 
marrellooa  would  the  uses  of  the  tribe  appear  to  ub  if  we 


could  but  glance  at  the  various  races  of  men  who  manage 
to  exist  upon  Palms  alone !  The  cocoa-nut,  so  plentifully 
grown  on  the  coasts  of  all  tropical  countries,  is  alone  said 


PALMS.  803 

to  have  as  many  uses  as  there  are  days  in  the  year.  It 
yields  everything^  from  cordage  to  candles^  to  say  nothing  of 
arrack^  door-mats^  and  Fern  fronds.  Upwards  of  170,000  cwt. 
of  a  valuable  oil,  afforded  by  its  kernel  and  used  for  soap- 
making,  "were  imported  in  the  year  1862.  Of  the  oil 
afforded  by  Elseis  guineensis  of  west  tropical  A&ica,  near 
1,000,000  cwt.  are  imported  annually !  The  uses  of  Palms  are 
as  infinite  as  their  grace  is  inimitable.  Sago,  upon  which 
whole  races  solely  depend  for  food ;  dates,  which  feed  dusky 
hosts  in  Arabia  and  North  Africa;  toddy,  which  affords 
one  of  those  strong  drinks  the  human  race  always  manage 
to  squeeze  out  of  something  or  other  in  every  known 
country,  to  the  peril  of  their  souls  and  destruction  of  their 
stomachs ;  resins,  wax,  brooms,  books  (the  old  Sanscrit 
was  written  on  Palm  leaves),  sugar,  and  the  bottoms  of 
chairs. 

Clearly  they  are  of  the  highest  interest  from  an  econo- 
mical as  well  as  ornamental  point  of  view;  and  we  may 
confidently  look  forward  to  seeing  them  abundantly  grown 
in  the  gardens  of  this  country  before  many  years  have 
elapsed.  The  object  of  amateur  growers  of  these  plants 
should  be  to  secure  a  suitable  selection,  preferring  such  as 
are  hardy  and  small  in  their  proportions.  Hitherto  Palms 
have  been  for  the  most  part  confined  to  our  botanic  gardens, 
and  in  them  all  sorts  were  welcome ;  but  for  the  purposes 
of  private  collections  we  must  be  more  select  and  choose 
them  for  their  ornamental  qualities  rather  than  their  bo- 
tanical interest,  particularly  favouring  all  the  dwarf  kinds. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  when  once  the  taste  for  these 
plants  is  established  among  us,  plant-hunters  will  search  for 
all  that  is  diminutive  in  this  vast  family,  so  that  the  owner 
of  a  town  greenhouse  may  enjoy  his  Palms  in  pots  as  well 
as  the  owner  of  a  conservatory  big  enough  to  hold  an  old 
Date  Palm.  The  collections  found  in  the  nurseries  of  this 
country  are  by  no  means  so  rich  as  those  of  the  Continent, 
and  particularly  Belgium ;  but  many  of  our  larger  nursery- 
men keep  them  in  stock,  and  no  difSculty  need  be  ex- 
perienced by  the  purchaser  in  getting  them.  The  following 
selection  has  been  made  from  the  collections  in  our  bo- 


304 


PALMS, 


tanic  gardensj  and  from  those  in  continental  and  British 
nurseries. 

As  there  are  a  greater  number  of  persons  'who  can 
grow  greenhouse  than  stove  Falms^  and  from  the  tsLCt  that 
the  former  class  will  as  a  rule  prove  doubly  useful  by 
adorning  the  open  garden  in  summer  as  well  as  the  houses 
in  winter,  we  will  begin  with  a  list  of  Palms  that  may  be 
grown  in  cool  hou8e8^.e.,  winter  gardens,  conservatories, 
greenhouses^  and  even  in  orchard-houses. 


GhamaBFops  excelsa 

i'ortunei     (si- 
nensis). 
Ghiesbreglitii. 
hmnilis. 
Palmetto, 
iomentosa. 
Cocns  anstralis. 
„      Bonnetii. 
„     campestris. 
GoiTpha  anstralis. 
Latania  borbonica. 


fi 

t> 
It 
II 

II 


Molinia  chileusis    (sjn. 

Jubiea  spectabilis). 
Phcenix  dact jlifera. 

farinifera. 

hnmilis. 

leonensis. 

pumila. 

reclinata. 

sylvestris. 

tenuis. 
Rhapis  flabelliformis. 


II 
II 
II 
II 
II 
II 


It 


Sabal  AdansoniL 

„     Mocini. 
Seaforthia  elegans. 
„         robosta. 
Thrinax  parviflora. 

„       tanicata. 
Areca  Intescens. 
Brahea  calcarea. 

„      dnicis. 
Diplothemium      mariti- 


mum. 


Of  Stove  Palms  there  is  abundance.  Some  of  those  that 
grow  well  in  the  cooler  houses  flourish  healthfully  in  the 
warmer  ones^  simply  growing  faster  therein ;  and  the  con- 
stitution of  hot-country  Palms  is  generally  such  that  they 
flourish  without  much  special  care  in  hothouses.  The 
following  are  among  the  more  desirable  kinds : — 


If 

II 
II 
If 
II 


Areca  anrea. 

mODostacbya. 
nobilis. 
rubra, 
sapida. 
spcciosa. 
Afitrocaiyum      mezica- 

num. 
Baotris,   all    obtainable 

species. 
Calamus  elegans. 
dealbata. 
Yerscbaffeltii. 
Carjota  soboiifera. 

„       elegans. 
Cocos  coronata. 
„     flexuosa. 
Copernicia  cirrifera. 
Eueis  guineensis. 
Latania  glancopbjlla. 


II 
II 


It 


If 


Latania  aurea. 
Pritchardia  pacifica. 
Euterpe  edulis. 

„      oleracea. 
Greonoma  fenestralis. 
„        ma^ifica. 
„        panicnlata. 
pumila. 
Bpeciosa. 
,,        Verechaffeltii. 
Hypnsene  thebaica. 
Mazimiliana  elegans. 
Oreodoza  regia. 

„         Gniesbregbtii. 
Oncospermum     fascicu- 

latum. 
Pboenicopborinm  sechel- 

larum. 
Pbjtelepbas     macro- 
carpa. 


Arenga  obtnsifolia. 
Calamus  adspersus. 
Bbaphia  Hookerii. 
ff       todigera. 
Sabal  priuceps. 
Thrinax  argentea. 
„       elegans. 
,,       radiata. 
Verschaffeltia     melano- 
ciuetes. 

„  splendida. 

Ceroxjlon  audicola. 
Clianuedorea  excelsa. 
,,  paniculata. 

„  atro-virena. 

Dsemonorops  plumosus. 
Leopoldina  pulcbra  (ex- 

pensiTe  and  rare). 
Calamus  Getah. 

oblongns. 


II 


Most  of  the  above  range  in  price  from   two    shillings^ 


THE   IVT,  AND   ITS  USES  IN  PARISIAN  GARDENS.      805 

and  even  less^  to  half  a  guinea  each^  wliile  some  of  the 
rarer  kinds  go  much  higher^  and  strong  well-grown  specimens 
of  all  are  of  course  much  more  expensive  than  the  small 
and  young  plants  to  be  bought  for  the  prices  above 
given. 

The  Ivy,  and  its  Uses  in  Parisian  Gardens. 

The  Irish  Ivy  is  a  very  old  friend  that  is  often  seen  beauti- 
fying old  walls  and  like  positions^  and  one^  as  we  may  have 
thought,  suflSciently  appreciated  and  employed.  Gaiety  and 
grace  I  was  led  to  expect  in  Parisian  gardens,  but  that  they 
should  take  up  our  Hibernian  friend,  so  partial  to  showers  and 
our  mossy  old  ruins,  and  bring  him  out  to  such  advantage  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  new  boulevards  and  sumptuous  archi- 
tecture, was  not  to  be  expected.  That  ^^  a  rare  old  plant  is 
the  Ivy  green  when  it  creepeth  o'er  ruins  old,''  we  Britons 
all  know,  but  that  it  is  no  less  admirable  when  mantling 
objectionable  surfaces  with  its  dark  polished  green  in  winter, 
would  not  appear  to  have  yet  sufficiently  dawned  upon  us. 
Apart  from  the  fact  that  the  Ivy  is  the  best  of  all  evergreen 
climbers,  it  is  the  best  of  all  plants  for  softening  the  aspect  of 
town  and  suburban  gardens  in  winter,  not  to  say  all  gardens. 
The  Parisian  gardeners  know  this  fully,  and  they,  taking  it 
out  of  the  catalogue  of  things  that  receive  chance  culture, 
or  no  culture  at  all,  bring  it  from  obscurity  and  make  of  it 
a  thing  of  beauty. 

To  rob  the  monotonous  garden  railings  of  their  naked- 
ness and  openness,  they  use  it  most  extensively,  and  there 
are  parts  about  Passy  where  the  Ivy,  densely  covering  the 
railings,  makes  a  beautiful  wall  of  polished  green  along  the 
fine  wide  asphalte  footways,  so  that  even  in  the  dead  of 
winter  it  is  refreshing  to  walk  along  them.  And  if  it  does 
so  much  for  the  street,  how  much  more  for  the  garden? 
Instead  of  the  inmates  of  the  house  gazing  from  the  windows 
into  the  street  swarming  with  dust,  or  splashing  with  mud^ 
a  wall  of  verdure  encloses  the  garden ;  privacy  is  perfectly 
secured;  the  effect  of  any  flowers  contained  in  the  garden 
is  much  heightened ;  and  lastly,  the  heavier  rushes  of  dust 
are  kept  out  in  summer,  for  so  admirably  are  the  railings 

X 


806      THE   ITT,  AND   ITS   OSES   IX   PARISIAN   GAaDENS. 


covered  by  planting  the  Ivy  rather  thickly,  and  giving  it 
some  rich  light  soil  to  grow  in,  that  a  perfectly  dense 
screen  ia  formed.  Railings  that  spring  from  n  wall  of  some 
height  around  the  lai^r  houses  are  covered  as  well  as  those 
that  almost  start  from  the  ground.  Frequently  the  tops  of 
the  rails  are  exposed,  and  often  these  are  gilt,  while  wire 
netting  on  the  inner  side  supports  the  Ivy  firmly. 

One  day,  as  I  was  passing  near  the  Hdtel  de  Yille,  and 
looking  at  its  tra- 
Fio.  134.  ceries,  my  eye  was 

caught  by  some- 
thing more  attrac- 
tive than  these:  a 
gilt-topped  railing 
densely  covered 
with  Ivy,  and  be- 
tween the  mass  of 
dark  green  and 
the  bared  spikes  at 
the  top  a  seam  ot 
light  green  foliage 
here  and  there 
W''  besprinkled  with 
long  beautiful  ra- 
cemes of  pale 
purplish  flowers. 
That  was  the  Wis- 

ia  figure  also  ^^.Tia.,  OUe  of  the 
»hoW8  tliB  wicia  ftsphftlte  pathway,  the  grating  over  mOSt  bcautiilll  of 
tlie  eround  at  th^  base  of  one  of  tbe  trees,  and  the  r%t  •      >    i        i  . 

cage  u«d  to  protect  its  stem.  China's  daughters, 

here  gracefnlly 
throwing  her  arms  round  our  Hibernian  friend,  and  forming 
a  living  picture  more  pleasing  to  the  eyes  of  a  lover  of  nature 
than  any  carving  in  stone.  If  there  are  tall  naked  walls  near 
a  Parisian  house,  they  are  quickly  covered  with  a  close  carpet 
of  Ivy.  Does  the  margin  of  the  grass  around  some  clump  of 
shmbs  or  flower  beds  look  a  little  angular  or  blotchy  ?  If 
BO,  the  Parisian  town  gardener  will  get  a  quantity  of  nice 
young  plant*  of  Ivy,  and  make  a  wide  margin  with  them. 


Bulings  densely  covered  with  Ivj. 


THE  IVT,  AKD  ITB   DSE8  IN  PARISIAN   QAttDlNB.      307 


Fid.  135. 


-wMcIi  margin  he  will  manage  to  make  look  well  at  all  times 
of  the  year — in  the  middle  of  winter  when  of  a  dark  hue, 
or  in  early  summer  when  Bhiidug  with  the  young  green 
leaves. 

When  the  Ivy  is  planted  pretty  thickly  and  kept  neatly 
to  a  hreadth  of,  say,  from  twelve  to  twenty  inches,  it 
forms  a  dense  mass  of  the  freshest  verdure,  especially  in 
early  summer,  and  of  course  all  through  the  winter,  in  a 
darker  state.  The  best  examples  of  this  description  of  edging 
that  I  know  of  anywhere  are  to  be  seen  around  the  gardens 
of  the  Louvre,  and  in  the  private  garden  of  the  Emperor 
at  the  Tuileries.  In  the  latter  the  Ivy  bands  are  plac^  on 
the  gravel  walks,  or  seem  to  be  so ;  for  a  belt  of  gravel  a 
foot  or  so  in  width  separates 
them  from  the  border  proper. 
He  effect  of  these  Ivy  bands 
outside  the  masses  of  gay 
flowers  is  escellent.  They  are 
the  freshest  things  to  look 
upon  in  Paris  during  the 
months  of  May,  June,  and 
July.  They  form  a  capital 
setting,  so  to  speak,  for  the 
flower  borders — the  best,  in- 
deed, that  could  be  obtained  ; 
while  in  themselves  they 
possess  qualities  sufficient  to  make  it  worth  one's  while 
to  grow  them  for  their  own  sakee.  In  some  geometri- 
cal gardens  we  have  panels  edged  with  white  stone — an 
artificial  stone  very  often.  These  Ivy  edgings  associate 
beautifully  with  them,  while  they  may  be  used  with  ad- 
vantage in  any  style  of  garden.  A  garden  pleases  in  direct 
proportion  to  the  variety  and  the  life  that  are  in  it ;  and  all 
banda  and  circles  of  stone,  all  unchangeable  geometrical 
patterns,  are  as  much  improved  by  being  fringed  here  and 
there  with  Ivy  and  the  like,  as  are  the  rocks  of  a  river's 
bank. 

It  should  be  observed  that  an  Ivy  edging  of  the  breadth 
of  an  ordinary  edging  ia  not  at  all  so  desirable  as  when  its 


308      THE  ITT,  AND  ITB  USES   IN  FABIBUN  QAEDENB. 

sheet  of  green  is  allowed  to  spread  oat  to  a  breadth  of  &oiu 
fifteen  to  eighteen  inches.  Then  its  rich  verdure  may  be 
seen  to  full  advantage.  It  must  of  conrae  be  kept  within 
straight  lines  if  the  garden  be  symmetrical :  if  it  be  a 
natural  kind  of  garden,  yon  may  let  it  have  its  own  wild 
way  to  some  extent.  In  nearly  every  courtyard  in  Paris 
the  Ivy  is  tastefully  used.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  saw  the 
scarlet  Pelargonium  to  so  great  advantage  as  in  deep  long 
boxes  placed  against  a  wall  densely  covered  with  it,  and  with 
Ivy  planted  also  along  their  front  edge,  so  as  to  hang  down 
and  cover  the  face  of  the  boxes.  One  of  the  beat  known  of 
the  floating  baths  on  the  Seine  has  a  sort  of  open  air 
waiting-room  immediately  outside  its  entrance — a  space 
made  by  planks,  and 
Fro- 136.  communicating       with 

the  quay  by  a  gangway. 
On  this  space  there  are 
seats  placed  around,  on 
which  in  summer  people 
may  sit  and  wait  for 
their  turn  if  so  dis- 
posed, while  the  whole 
,  IS  elegantly  embow- 
ered with  Ivy,  which 
looks  as  much  at  home 
as  if  the  river  was  not 
gargling  rapidly  1>eneath.  This  is  secured  by  placing 
deep  boxes  filled  with  very  rich  light  soil  here  and  there  on 
the  bare  space ;  then  planting  the  Ivy  at  the  ends  of  each  box 
and  devoting  the  remainder  of  the  space  to  flowers,  keeping 
the  soil  well  watered,  and  training  the  shoots  of  the  Ivy 
to  a  neat  light  trellis  overhead. 

In  the  garden  of  the  Exposition  a  pretty  circular  bower 
was  shown  perfectly  covered  with  it,  the  whole  springing 
&om  a  tub.  Imagine  an  immense  green  umbrella  with  the 
handle  inserted  in  a  tub  of  good  soil,  boards  placed  over 
this  tub,  so  as  to  make  a  circular  seat  of  it,  and  you  vrill 
understand  it  in  a  moment.  That  and  the  like  could  of 
course  be  readily  made  on  a  roof,  wide  balcony,  or  any  such 


THE  IVr,  AND  ITS  USES  IN  PARISIAN  OAEDEH8.      309 


position.  Ooe  sunny  early  Bnmmer  day,  when  the  Ivy  vas 
in  its  youthful  green,  I  met  vith  a  shallow  bower  made  of 
it  that  pleased  me  very  much.  It  was  simply  a  great  erect 
shell  of  green  not  more  than  fivt:  or  six  feet  deep,  so  that 
the  sun  could  freshen  the  inside  into  as  deep  a  verduie  as 
the  outer  surface. 

The  Ivy  may  be  readily  grown  and  tastefiilly  used  in  a 
dwelling-house.  I  once  saw  it  growing  inside  the  window 
of  a  wine-shop  in  an  obscure  part  of  Paris,  and  on  going  in 
found  it  planted  in  a  rough  box  against  the  wall,  up  which 
it  had  crept,  and 

was  going  about  F'"-  '37- 

apparently  as 
carelessly  as  if 
in  a  wood.  If 
you  happen  to 
be  in  the  great 
court  at  Versail- 
les, and,  requir- 
ing guidance, 
chance  to  ask  a 
question  at  a 
porter's  little 
lodge  seen  to  the 
left  as  you  go  to 
the  gardens,  you 
will  be  much  in- 
terested to  sec 
what  a  deep  in- 
terest the  fat  porter  and  his  wife  take  in  Cactuses  and 
such  plants,  and  what  a  nice  collection  of  them  they  have 
gathered  together,  but  more  so  at  the  sumptuous  sheet  of 
Ivy  which  hangs  over  from  high  above  the  mantelpiece.  It 
is  planted  in  a  box  in  a  deep  recess,  and  tumbles  out  its 
abundant  tresses  almost  as  richly  as  if  depending  from  a 
Kerry  rock. 

The  Ivy  is  also  used  to  a  great  extent  to  make  living 
screens  for  drawing-rooms  and  saloons,  and  often  with  a 
very  tasteful  result.     This  is  usually  done  by  planting  it  in 


suBpcDBion  baatet. 


310      THE   IVT,  AND    ITS   U3EB    IN   PAIUSIAN    0ABDEN8. 


narrow  boxes  and  tnuning  it  up  virework  trelllBea,  no  ihat 
with  a  few  of  such  a  living  screen  may  be  formed  in  aay 
desired  part  of  a  room  in  a  few  minutes.  Sometimes  it  is 
permanently  planted ;  and  in  one  instance  I  saw  it  beaati- 
folly  used  to  embellish  crystal  partitions  between  lai^ 
apartments. 

To  make  the  Ivy  edgings  which  are  so  abundantly  employed 
in  and  around  Paris,  planta  are  easily  procured  in  pots,  and 
at  a  very  cbeap  rate,  at  the  markets  on  the  quays,  or  of  the 
nurserymen  at  Fontenay  aux  Roses,  who  every  year  grow  it 
in  large  quantities.  It  is  planted  thickly  in  borders,  and 
trailed  along  in 
P'"- 138,  strips  &om  twelve 

to  sixteen  inches 
in  width,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of 
the  beds.  It  is 
laid  down  with 
wooden  pegs,  a 
layer  of  earth 
being  placed  over 
the  stems.  When 
once  planted,  it 
only  needs  to  be 
kept  clear  of 
weeds,  and  to  be 
moderately  water- 
ed. Under  this 
treatment,  it  forms  healthy  borders  the  year  after  it  is  planted. 
In  preparing  the  Ivy  for  growing  against  railings  and  trellis- 
work  that  encloses  the  various  parks  and  gardens,  it  is 
trained  carefully  during  the  first  one  or  two  years,  so  that 
all  empty  spaces  may  be  filled  up.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year,  the  railings  will  be  completely  covered,  and  for 
the  future  it  is  only  necessary  to  keep  it  properly  pruned. 

The  Ivy  used  by  the  City  of  Paris  for  ornamenting  the 
flower  beds  in  the  squares,  the  trunks  of  trees,  &c.,  is  grown 
and  propagated  at  the  nurseries  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne. 
Towwds  the  end  of  the  summer  the  propagation  of  the  Ivy 


THE  IVY,  AND  ITS   USES   IN   PARISIAN    GARDENS.       311 

by  means  of  cuttings  is  carried  on.  Three  or  four  leaves 
are  left  on  each  cuttings  and  they  are  planted  very  thickly  in 
lines  in  a  half-shady  position.  When  they  have  taken  root 
sufficiently,  which  generally  takes  place  in  the  following 
spring,  they  are  transplanted  into  pots  of  four  or  five  inches 
in^diameter.  Afterwards  stakes  are  fixed  along  the  lines  of 
pots,  from  which  are  stretched  lines  of  thin  galvanized  wire, 
and  to  this  slender  but  firm  trellis  from  three  to  five  feet 
high  the  plants  are  trained  several  times  during  the  growing 
season.  At  the  end  of  the  second  or  third  year  the  plants 
are  strong  enough  to  be  employed  to  cover  railings,  and  for 
many  similar  purposes.  The  nurserymen  in  the  suburbs  of 
Paris  generally  propagate  them  by  layers.  For  this  purpose 
old  plants  are  placed  at  a  certain  distance  from  each  other, 
and  are  allowed  to  grow  long.  Pots  from  four  to  six  inches 
in  diameter  are  then  plunged  in  the  ground  around,  the  Ivy 
being  fixed  in  them  by  means  of  small  pegs,  one  shoot  in 
each  pot.  Afterwards  stakes  are  placed  in  the  pots,  and 
the  Ivy  trained  against  them  as  it  grows.  When  the  layers 
are  sufficiently  rooted,  they  are  separated  from  the  old 
plants,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  second  or  third  year  it 
is  ready  for  use.  If  a  wide  belt  of  Ivy  is  desired,  the 
young  plants  may  be  put  in  in  two  or  three  rows,  as  the 
French  do  when  making  such  excellent  Ivy  edgings  as  are 
here  described.  In  any  case,  after  the  plants  are  inserted 
the  shoots  must  be  neatly  pegged  down  all  in  one  direction. 
The  reason  why  Ivy  edgings  when  seen  in  England  look 
so  poor  compared  with  those  in  Paris,  is  that  we  allow  them 
to  grow  as  they  like,  ajid  they  get  overgrown,  wild,  and  en- 
tangled, whereas  the  French  keep  them  the  desired  size  by 
pinching  or  cutting  the  little  shoots  well  in,  two  or  even 
three  times  every  summer,  after  the  edging  has  once  at- 
tained size  and  health.  The  abundant  supply  of  established 
plants  in  small  pots  enables  the  French  to  lay  down  these 
edgings  so  as  to  look  well  almost  from  the  first  day. 


312 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PBtJIT   CULTURE  :    HOW  ARE   WB   TO   IMPROVE  ? 

The  discussion  on  French  and  English  firuit  growing  which 
emanated  firom  my  letters  to  the  Times  in  August,  1867, 
and  afterwards  spread  through  all  the  gardening  papers, 
was  too  desultory  to  leave  any  impression  on  the  public 
mind  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue.  For  this  reason 
therefore,  and  to  prevent  misrepresentation,  I  entered  on 
the  question  of  the  general  improvement  of  our  hardy  fruit 
culture  in  the  Times  in  May,  1868  ;  and  in  this  chapter  I 
propose  to  enter  more  fully  into  this  very  important  ques- 
tion. Some  have  so  little  understood  me  as  to  suppose  that  I 
had  recommended  the  cordon  for  orchard  culture,  which 
would  be  a  stupendous  blunder  only  worthy  of  some  nur- 
seryman very  anxious  to  sell  his  trees.  Therefore,  although 
the  present  subject  may  seem  wide  of  the  aim  of  the  book, 
it  is  necessary  to  enable  the  reader  to  estimate  the  value — 
be  it  small  or  great— of  what  we  may  learn  from  continental 
fruit  growers,  and  how  we  may  improve  our  supplies.  The 
fruit  question  is  not  one  that  merely  concerns  those  who 
can  afford  to  keep  gardeners,  or  even  the  much  larger  class 
who  can  devote  some  time  and  money  to  the  pleasant  and 
healthful  amusement  that  amateur  gardening  affords  ;  it  is 
a  question  for  the  public  in  its  widest  sense,  and  of  especial 
importance  when  considered  in  relation  to  the  enormous 
and  badly  supplied  masses  in  our  ever-growing  great  cities 
and  towns. 

I  shall  first  deal  with  the  Pear,  for  several  reasons  : — 
1st.  Considering  its  hardiness,  keeping  qualities,  and  rich 
variety,  it  is  the  most  delicious  and  valuable  fruit  that  can 
be  grown  in  northern  latitudes.  A  perfect  Peach  may  be  pre- 
ferred to  a  first-rate  Pear,  but  by  properly  selecting  varieties 


PEUIT   CULTURE.  813 

of  Pears  we  may  have  them  in  perfection. during  eight  or 
nine  months  of  the. year— or  even  longer— and  the  variety 
in  flavour  is  perhaps  greater  than  in  the  case  of  any  other 
firait.  2nd.  We  are  quite  behind  the  French  growers  in 
its  production.  Our  stocks  of  Apples  are  usually  good  and 
abundant ;  our  stocks  of  Pears  are  frequently  scarce  and 
very  poor  in  quality.  I  have  seen  many  large  gardens  in 
the  British  Isles  where  a  really  good  Pear  was  almost  as  rare 
as  a  Mangosteen.  3rd.  I  believe  we  can  increase  the  quan- 
tity and  quality  of  our  Pears  in  a  tenfold  degree  over  the 
greater  part  of  England  and  Ireland^  and  even  in  time  to 
come  export  the  fruit  that  we  now  import  so  largely. 

It  is  indisputable  that  the  brighter  sun  of  France  is  more 
favourable  to  the  culture  of  the  Pear  than  our  own  climate ; 
but  it  is  equally  as  true  that  by  the  aid  of  walls  for  some 
sorts^  by  judicious  selection  of  ground,  locality,  and  kinds^ 
we  may  grow  it  to  perfection.  The  quantity  of  pears  the 
French  send  to  our  markets  is  surprising.  Messrs.  Draper^ 
the  salesmen  of  Covent-garden,  showed  me  by  their  books 
that  from  one  importer  alone  they  sell  from  60^.  to  100/. 
worth  of  French  garden  produce  (chiefly  Pears)  each  market 
day ;  and  a  fruit  merchant  has  told  me  of  one  dealer  in 
pears  who  annually  collects  in  France  and  sells  in  our 
markets  10,000/.  worth  of  that  fruit.  Are  not  these  signi- 
ficant facts  for  the  British  cultivator  ? 

It  is  quite  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  climate  does  all 
this  for  the  French— the  winter  and  spring  in  many  parts  of 
northern  and  north  central  France  being  quite  as  difficult 
for  the  fruit  grower  as  those  of  England.  The  pear  loves  a 
moist,  genial  climate,  and  in  many  parts  of  England  and 
Ireland  our  advantage  in  this  respect  will  be  foimd  to 
compensate  in  some  degree  for  the  difierence  in  sunlight. 
Some  pears  are  grown  better  in  England  than  in  France, 
and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  some  that  ripen  and  go  off 
quickly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London  remain  in  an 
eatable  state  much  longer  and  acquire  a  more  delicious 
flavour  in  the  cooler  climate  of  Yorkshire.  Let  it  be  borne 
in  mind  that  we  are  talking  of  the  culture  of  a  fruit  which 
grows  in  a  wild  state  as  far  north  as  southern  Sweden,  and 


814  PRUIT  CULTURE  : 

not  of  the  Pomegranate  or  any  really  tender  subject ;  and 
then  the  objections  of  those  who  say  that  our  climate 
prevents  any  improTcment,  and  perhaps  immediately  after- 
wards assert  the  superior  quality  of  British-grown  firuitj 
will  pass  for  no  more  than  they  are  worth.  If  one 
individual  can  grow  a  first-class  Fear,  why  not  a  score  or 
more  persons  in  the  same  neighbourhood  ?  Nature  is  our 
willing  handmaid  in  this  matter,  and  I  firmly  believe  that 
we  have  it  in  our  power  to  place  this  fine  fruit  within 
the  reach  of  all,  and  render  ourselves  quite  independent 
of  the  French.  I  do  not  say  we  could  grow  such  big  Belle 
Angevine  Pears  as  they  sell  at  Covent-garden  for  a  guinea 
and  a  half  apiece ;  but  that  is  of  no  consequence,  as  these 
are  at  best  only  fit  for  show  or  kitchen  use,  and  are,  in  fact, 
little  better  for  eating  than  a  raw  turnip. 

There  are  various  ways  in  which  we  may  improve  the 
culture  of  the  Pear,  and  the  first  and  best  is  by  paying 
more  attention  to  it  as  a  naturally  developed  standard 
tree — ^in  a  word,  by  an  improved  system  of  orcharding. 
This  also  applies  to  other  hardy  fruit  trees,  and  is  treated 
of  at  greater  length  further  on.  Upon  orchards  we  must 
chiefly  depend  for  the  supply  of  our  large  cities  and  towns. 
This  subject,  in  its  commercial  aspect,  may  be  left  to  the 
growers  of  fruit  for  the  market,  but  the  country  gentleman 
and  large  farmer — ^in  fact,  everybody  possessing  a  hedgerow, 
field,  or  shrubbery — cannot  be  too  strongly  urged  to  use  the 
great  opportunities  they  have  for  growing  Pears.  They 
grow  useless  shrubs  and  weedy  trees  in  many  places  where 
the  finest  fruit  might  be  grown  without  any  attention, 
expense,  or  trouble  beyond  gathering  it.  There  are 
plenty  of  landed  proprietors  who  at  present  know  not  what 
it  is  to  have  the  luxury  of  a  stock  of  good  Pears,  who  might 
gather  them  from  spots  now  utterly  useless ;  there  are  multi- 
tudes of  farmers  who  hardly  ever  see  a  good  fruit  of  this 
kind,  in  possession  of  lines  of  hedgerow  where  the  tree  would 
stand  as  healthfully  from  among  the  lower  brushwood  as 
any  subject  that  now  embellishes  them;  and  there  are 
thousands  of  owners  of  villas  and  suburban  gardens  who 
now  go  to  market  for  their  fruit  who  might  gather  it  from 


HOW   AEE  WE   TO  IMPROVE?  815 

places  in  their  little  shrubberies,  at  present  entirely  devoted 
to  that  miserable  shrub  the  Privet,  and  some  of  its  most 
worthless  allies.  I  know  well  the  kind  of  objection  that  is 
made  to  some  of  these  suggestions — the  boys  would  gather 
the  fruit,  &c.  Small  blame  to  the  poor  boys  for  making  an 
occasional  attempt  on  the  little  fruit  that  comes  in  their 
way,  and  for  exercising  a  little  ingenuity  in  getting  at  what 
is  for  them  such  wholesome  and  delicious  food ;  but  if  the 
fruit  were  as  plentiful  as  it  ought  to  be  they  would  not  be 
so  tempted. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  some  of  our  hardy  fruits 
are  capable  of  afibrding  quantities  of  wholesome  food  to  the 
people;  but  before  they  do  so  efficiently  we  must  take 
them  out  of  the  class  of  things  that  are  carefully  walled 
in  gardens,  overdone  with  kindness,  or  perhaps  mutilated 
to  death  by  excessive  and  unnatural  pruning,  and  recognise 
and  take  full  advantage  of  the  fact  that  many  excellent 
kinds  are  as  hardy  and  easily  grown  as  the  Blackberries 
and  Sloes  of  the  hedges.  For  the  purposes  herein  sug- 
gested thoroughly  hardy  and  free-growing  sorts  should  alone 
be  selected;  but  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  first-class 
firuit,  even  of  the  continental  varieties,  cannot  be  produced 
in  this  way.  The  other  day  in  visiting  the  gardens  at  Oak 
Lodge,  Kensington,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  very 
large  and  handsome  Pear  tree  growing  among  the  Rhodo- 
dendrons and  other  choice  shrubs  which  adorn  the  margin 
of  a  piece  of  rock-bound  water.  Upon  further  inquiry  I 
found  it  was  a  fine  old  tree  of  the  Beurre  Diel,  which, 
without  pruning  or  attention  of  any  kind,  produced  abun- 
dantly such  good  fruit,  that  of  twelve  samples  of  the  same 
fine  variety  recently  laid  before  the  Fruit  Committee  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  the  fruit  of  this  tree  was  pro- 
nounced the  best.  I  by  no  means  mention  this  as  a 
remarkable  instance,  but  merely  to  prove  that  the  finest 
Pears  may  be  grown  by  the  simplest  means,  and  that  the 
tree  is  worth  cultivating  for  its  beauty  alone.  The  garden 
of  Oak  Lodge  is  the  best  designed  town  garden  I  have  yet 
seen,  and  Mr.  Mamock,  who  arranged  it,  left  several 
of  these  old  Pears  in  conspicuous  positions  when  laying 


816  FRUIT   CULTUEB: 

out  the  place  solely  for  their  beauty  as  trees^  apart  from 
their  fruiting  qualities.  Therefore  it  is  dear  that  we  may 
efifect  considerable  improvement  by  planting  this  tree  in 
shrubberies^  pleasure  grounds,  and  like  positions^  and  in 
many  wild  and  semi-wild  places^  both  in  enclosed  private 
grounds  and  in  the  open  country.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  enormous  quantities  of  good  fruit  could  be  grown  upon 
railway  banks  now  useless,  and  from  which  fruit  could  be 
so  readily  conveyed  to  market.  The  French  are  nearly  as 
backward  in  these  matters  as  ourselves,  but  they  have  at  all 
events  taken  the  initiative^  as  described  in  another  part. 
It  is  really  astonishing  that  such  beautifrd  objects  as  most 
of  our  fruit  trees  are  when  in  flower  do  not  more  fre- 
quently occur  outside  the  garden  walls  in  this  country. 

The  second  way  in  which  we  may  improve  the  cultivation 
of  the  Pear  is  by  planting  it  to  a  greater  extent  as  a  pyra- 
midal tree,  and  grafted  on  the  Quince  where  the  soils  are 
rich,  moist,  or  deep.     On  many  dry  and  sandy  lands  the 
Pear  must  be  grown  on  its  own  stock,  and  for  orcharding 
purposes  generally  that  may  safely  be  pronounced  the  best. 
Indeed,  one  writer  suggested  this  as  the  remedy  for  all  our 
wants  in  this  way  ;  but  it  is  not  so.     We  shall  never  have  a 
cheap  supply  for  market  till  we  pay  more  attention  to  the 
Pear  as  a  freely  developed  standard  tree ;  we  shall  never  have 
a  first-rate  supply  of  winter  pears  till  we  pay  better  atten- 
tion to  walls  than  we  do   at  present.     The  French,  from 
whom  we  have  adopted  the  pyramidal  form,  employ  it  to  an 
enormous  extent,  but  do  not  stop  there.     It  is  in  planting 
the  pyramid  that  most  of  our  improvement  in  this  direction 
has  taken  place  for  a  good  many  years  back.    Almost  every 
nurseryman  has  now  a  stock  of  the  tree  in  this  form,  and 
we  cannot  employ  it  too  much,  provided  sorts  that  ripen 
well  in  ordinary  seasons  are  selected ;  but  there  are  other 
ways  of  equal  importance.     The  pyramid  is  so  pleasing  in 
outline,  and  indeed  in  all  other  respects,  that,  although  so 
highly  suited  for  the  kitchen  or  fruit  garden,  it  should  by 
no  means  be  confined  to  either.     Handsome  specimens  may 
well  be  introduced  in  favourable  spots  in  the  pleasure  ground 
and  shrubberies^  and  thus  the  owners  of  those  numerous 


HOW  ARE   WE   TO  IMPROVE?  817 

small  ornamental  gardens  near  towns  may  gather  fine  fruit. 
However,  this  form  is  so  weU  known,  and  has  been  so  much 
recommended  for  many  years,  that  I  shall  now  turn  to  the 
third  way  of  improving  the  culture  of  the  Pear,  and  one 
that  has  been  comparatively  neglected  for  some  years  past. 

I  mean  the  Pear  on  walls.  Here  we  are  certainly  behind- 
hand, and  do  not  appear  to  have  made  much  progress  for  a 
very  long  time.  Perhaps  it  may  be  thought  that  the  French 
might  dispense  with  walls ;  but  no  such  thing.  They  find 
them  indispensable  for  the  perfect  culture  of  the  finer  winter 
Pears  ;  and  were  it  not  for  their  use,  they  could  never  obtain 
such  a  stock  of  them  as  they  have.  Yet  we  have  for  a  long 
time  past  been  paying  attention  to  almost  every  kind  of 
garden  improvement  but  this  very  important  one.  It  is  true 
that  walls  are  expensive,  but  once  up  it  is  a  great  pity  to 
neglect  them ;  and,  apart  even  from  garden  walls,  there  are 
numerous  places  with  as  much  wall  surface  naked  and  use- 
less as,  if  properly  covered,  would  yield  a  good  supply  of 
fruit  to  the  family.  Few  things  combine  beauty  and  utility 
more  efiectively  than  a  well-covered  wall  of  Pear  trees ;  and 
the  creation  of  such  is  not  a  matter  of  mystery  or  difficulty, 
but  what  anybody  can  perform.  With  walls  it  may  be 
safely  said  that  our  climate  is  as  good  as  that  of  northern 
France.  Indeed,  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  it,  as  I  and 
many  others  have  eaten  as  good  fruit  off  well-managed  English 
wall-trees  as  ever  grew;  but  unfortunately  there  is  but 
little  attention  paid  to  them  compared  to  what  they  deserve. 
Most  large  gardens  would  be  benefited  by  having  a  much 
greater  proportion  of  wall-surface  than  they  have  at  pre- 
sent; to  many  small  ones  they  would  prove  a  great  ad- 
dition. Fortunately,  a  recently-invented,  or  revived,  process 
offers  an  opportunity  of  building  them  very  much  cheaper 
than  before,  and  as  good  as  could  be  desired. 

1  allude  to  Tall^s  plan  for  making  concrete  walls,  which 
has  not  as  yet  been  utilized  by  horticulturists,  but  which  is 
certain  to  prove  of  the  greatest  use  to  them,  and  to  have  a 
marked  influence  on  our  horticulture  for  the  future.  I  have 
seen  it  employed  with  much  success  in  the  building  of  the 
Emperor^s  model  houses  for  workmen  near  the  Bois  de 


818  FEUIT  CULTURE: 

yincennes^  and  from  the  day  of  visiting  them  I  have  had  no 
doubt  whatever  that  it  will  prove  a  great  gain  in  our  firuit 
growing.  The  building  of  houses  by  its  means  is  simple 
and  as  easy  as  could  be  desired^  although  none  but  the 
roughest  labourers  are  employed;  that  of  walls  may  be 
effected  even  with  greater  ease.  The  Paris  houses  were  built 
with  very  rough  gravel  dug  up  on  the  spot.  The  same 
or  any  like  material  may  be  used  for  like  purposes^  as 
may  burnt  clay,  stony  rubbish  of  any  kind,  or  even  such 
material  as  clinkers,  abimdant  and  hitherto  useless  in  many 
districts.  I  need  not  and  cannot  here  go  into  the  plan,  but 
it  consists  in  little  more  than  mixing  a  small  portion  of 
cement  and  sand  with  the  rougher  material,  and  throwing 
the  mass  between  boards  firmly  adjusted  to  the  size  of  wall 
required.  The  mass  hardens  in  twenty-four  hours  or  so, 
then  the  boards  are  elevated,  another  layer  of  concrete 
thrown  in,  and  so  the  work  goes  on.  It  will  be  clearly 
seen  that  nothing  can  be  better  suited  for  garden  purposes. 
In  addition  to  this  mode,  I  know  no  reason  why  walls  of 
adhesive  earth  on  a  brick  or  stone  foundation  should  not  be 
used  with  us  as  well  as  on  the  Continent.  I  have  seen 
many  of  these  garden  walls  and  houses  perfectly  sound  and 
strong  many  years  after  their  erection,  and  looking  no  worse, 
indeed  better,  than  ordinary  brick  walk. 

No  matter  of  what  material  the  wall  be  made,  it  will  be 
desirable  to  whiten  its  surface  and  keep  it  white.  Black 
and  dark  coloured  surfaces  absorb  heat  in  the  daytime,  and 
give  it  out  again  during  the  night  in  the  form  of  radiant 
heat ;  from  which  facts  we  might  draw  the  conclusion  that 
walls  for  training  fruit  trees  against  should  be  black,  or  at 
any  rate  of  a  dark  colour.  Direct  experiment  was,  however, 
necessary  to  settle  this  question,  and  M.  Vuitry,  who  em- 
ploys his  leisure  in  arboriculture,  has  commimicated  the 
results  of  his  experiments  in  this  direction  to  M.  du  Breuil, 
which  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  proper  colour  to  be  chosen 
for  walls  against  which  fruit  trees  are  to  be  trained.  He 
has  proved — 1st.  That  a  thermometer  hung  during  the  day 
with  its  face  turned  towards  a  white  wall,  at  a  distance  from 
it  equal  to  that  of  a  fruit  tree  trained  against  it — i.e.,  about 


HOW  AEE  WE   TO   TMPEOVE  ?  319 

an  inch  and  a  quarter — always  showed  a  mean  temperature  of 
nearly  6  deg.  Fahr.  higher  than  one  hung  against  a  hiack  wall 
under  precisely  similar  circ\imstances.  2nd.  That  during 
the  night  the  difference  of  temperature  shown  by  these  two 
thermometers  was  inappreciable.  Contrary  therefore  to 
the  opinions  entertained  by  many  persons,  it  seems  to  be 
evident  that  the  walls  must  be  whitened  when  we  wish  to 
give  the  trees  trained  against  them  the  maximum  amount  of 
heat  to  be  obtained  from  the  particular  climate  and  aspect. 
Indeed,  it  is  precisely  the  plan  that  has  already  been  pur- 
sued by  the  fruit  growers  of  Montreuil  for  Peach  trees,  and 
of  Thomery  for  their  Vines,  it  having  been  frequently  re- 
marked that  trees  trained  against  white  walls  were  healthier 
than  those  nailed  to  more  or  less  dark-coloured  ones.  This 
result  is  easily  explained,  for  not  only  does  the  lighter  colour 
reflect  more  heat  back  to  the  trees,  but  by  this  means  they 
receive  a  greater  quantity  of  light ;  and  it  is  well  known 
how  greatly  vegetation  is  stimulated  by  these  agencies. 
Walls  of  a  light  tint  are  advantageous  in  another  way,  for 
they  not  only  reflect  light  and  heat  on  the  particular  trees 
trained  against  them,  but  also  on  the  others  in  their  imme- 
diate neighbourhood.  By  ab^jndantly  planting  the  finer 
winter  Pears  against  walls  with  a  warm  exposure  and  white- 
washed surface,  we  may  within  half  a  dozen  years  gather 
such  crops  of  the  really  valuable  winter  Pears  as  have  never 
before  been  seen  in  this  country. 

Another  improvement  must  of  necessity  accompany  this, 
and  that  is  the  French  method  of  wiring  garden  walls. 
"We  cannot  use  nails  with  concrete  and  earth  walls,  and 
if  we  could  the  deliverance  from  nails  would  be  a  great 
point  gained.  To  me  the  most  lamentable  of  all  gs^en 
sights  is  that  of  men  handling  those  miserable  shreds  and 
nails  during  winter  time,  and  blowing  heat  at  their  fingers 
and  patting  their  toes  to  keep  up  the  circulation.  Our  way 
of  wiring  a  wall  is  so  expensive  and  cumbrous  that  many 
still  prefer  the  nails,  but  the  French  mode  of  employing  a 
little  raidisseur  or  tightener  on  each  wire,  and  using  very 
slender  galvanized  wire,  is  quite  perfect  in  its  way.  When 
adopted   with   us    it   will  be  found   to   save    much    time 


820  FRUIT  CULTURE: 

and  greatly  improve  the  appearance  of  garden  walls.  We 
must  also  adopt  the  improved  kind  of  espalier  which  the 
French  are  beginning  to  employ  so  extensively,  and  which 
is  elsewhere  described  and  figured. 

Of  all  our  wants  in  connexion  with  the  Pear,  that  of  the 
spread  of  good  varieties  is  perhaps  the  greatest.  Naturally^ 
or  rather  I  should  say  in  a  wild  state,  the  Pear  is  a  poor 
firuit  about  an  inch  and  a  half  long ;  and  from  this  in  the 
course  of  thousands  of  years  the  splendid  race  we  now 
possess  has  sprung.  Scattered  through  our  gardens  and 
orchards  in  all  parts  of  this  kingdom,  there  are  scores  of 
kinds  which  are  practically  of  little  more  use  than  the  wild 
fruit  trees  of  the  woods  and  hedgerows.  But  apart  from  all 
these  worthless  varieties,  named  and  unnamed,  that  occupy 
valuable  ground,  there  are  numbers  which  are  regularly 
sold  in  our  nurseries,  possessing  fine  names  and  pedigrees, 
and  yet  which  are  practically  useless  to  the  cultivator,  and  it 
may  be  mischievous  to  the  amateur.  Let  us  suppose  the  case 
of  a  person  wishing  to  commence  Pear  culture — he  has  some 
slight  knowledge  of  other  branches  of  horticulture,  and  expects 
that  the  long  list  of  the  varieties  of  Pears  which  he  finds  in  his 
nurseryman^s  catalogue  will  ^semble  each  other  pretty  much 
as  his  Verbenas  or  Pansies  do.  Taken  by  the  dififerent  names 
and  descriptions,  he  goes  in  for  collection  instead  of  selection, 
seeks  variety  and  finds  disappointment.  The  truth  is  that  a 
wide  selection  of  varieties  is  an  evil  in  every  way.  It 
requires  much  sagacity  on  the  part  of  men  who  have  studied 
gardening  all  their  lives  to  know  what  to  avoid  in  these 
lists;  how  very  dangerous,  then,  for  the  amateur,  or  for 
those  who  have  neither  amateur  nor  professional  knowledge 
of  the  matter,  to  make  a  selection  I  Let  us  glance  for  a 
moment  into  some  of  the  fruit  catalogues.  It  is  needless 
for  us  to  state  how  much  the  Pear  varies.  Here  is  a  cata- 
logue naming,  describing,  and  numbering  nearly  400  kinds. 
What  a  danger  for  those  who  suspect  not  how  few  are  the 
really  good  varieties  of  Pears  suited  to  this  climate  !  People 
suppose  that  giving  long  lists  of  this  kind  is  for  the  sake  of 
selling  a  great  number  of  varieties ;  but  that  course  would 
be  so  clearly  a  mistaken  one,  that  one  cannot  suppose  an 


HOW  ARE  WB   TO   IMPROVE?  821 

intelligent  person  persisting  in  it.  The  presence  of  bad  and 
unsuitable  Pears  everywhere  throughout  the  country  simply 
tends  to  retard  the  culture  of  this  noble  fruit ;  whereas  the 
distribution  of  the  really  good  kinds  in  abundance  would 
create  such  a  demand  for  them  as  would  cause  the  trade  in 
young  trees  to  increase  tenfold. 

The  compilers  of  the  above  catalogues  do  not  follow  the 
example  of  the  famous  M.  de  la  Quintinye^  chief  gardener 
to  Louis  XIV.  at  Versailles,  whose  list  was  lengthy,  although 
published  so  very  long  ago,  but  who  conscientiously  divided 
it  into  several  sections — viz.,  ''  good  pears,'^  "  indifferent 
pears,^'  and  '*  bad  pears  V^  This  was  honest  in  De  la  Quin- 
tinye,  and  would  be  admirable  in  a  British  nurseryman* 
The  spirit  of  expurgation  was  strong  in  this  famous  old 
gardener,  and  he  follows  the  bad  with  another  list — a  long 
one — heading  it — *'  Besides  the  pears  which  I  know  not,  here 
is  a  particular  list  of  those  which  I  know  to  be  so  bad  that  I 
counsel  nobody  to  plant  any  of  them.*'  And  that  is  followed 
by  another  : — "  A  b'st  of  those  which  I  esteem  not  highly 
enough  to  counsel  any  gentleman  to  plant  them,  nor  yet  so 
much  despise  as  to  banish  them  out  of  the  gardens  of  them 
that  like  them."  Here  was  an  instance  of  a  most  praise- 
worthy desire  to  weed  out  the  bad,  followed  by  others  to 
exterminate  the  middling  and  the  not  very  good.  This, 
observe,  was  in  France,  where  a  greater  number  of  kinds 
arrive  at  perfection  than  is  the  case  with  us,  and  where  a 
greater  number  of  varieties  are  grown.  Although  our 
nurseryman  friend,  with  his  long  list,  is  somewhat  of 
an  exception,  the  lists  of  others  of  our  fruit-tree  raisers 
are  much  too  long  to  be  of  any  real  guidance  to  the 
amateur. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  cream — the  best  Pears 
of  the  many  hundred  kinds  known : — Doyenne  d'Ete,  Jar- 
gonelle, Williams's  Bon  Chretien,  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey, 
Jersey  Gratioli,  Urbaniste,  Fondante  d'Automne,  Beurr^ 
d'Amanlis,  Suffolk  Thorn,  Seckel,  Comte  de  Lamy,  Flemish 
Beauty,  Desire  Cornelis,  Marie  Louise,  Baronne  de  Melloj 
Thompson's,  Beurre  Bosc,  Duchesse  d'Angoulfime,  Beurr^ 
Diel,  BeuAe   Hardy,   Mar&hal  de  la  Cour,  B.   Superfin, 

T 


822  FEUIT  CULTURE: 

Doyenne  du  Cornice,  Glou  Morceau,  Winteir  Nelis,  Benrr^ 
Ranee,  B.  Sterckmans,  Josephine  de  Malines,  Bergamotte 
Esperen,  Easter  Beurr^. 

Of  the  above,  Marie  Louise,  Beurr^  Bosc,  Duchesse 
d'AngoulSme,  Beurre  Diel,  Doyenn^  du  Cornice,  Olou 
Morceau,  Beurre  Ranee,  Josephine  de  Malines,  Bergamotte 
Esperen,  Easter  Beurr^,  Beurr^  Sterckmans,  Desir^  Comelis, 
and  Winter  Nelis  should  be  grown  against  walls.  In  some 
cases  they  may  afiford  a  satisfactory  result  away  from  them, 
but  if  grown  against  white  walls  they  will  in  all  cases  be 
highly  improved,  and  some  of  the  very  best  of  them  are 
only  to  be  had  in  perfection  when  thus  grown.  As  wall 
space  is  often  limited,  and  as  it  is  necessary  to  have  the 
warmest  walls  to  perfect  the  finest  winter  pears,  it  is  desirable 
to  be  very  particular  indeed  when  selecting  pears  for  wall 
culture;  and  I  should  advise  Easter  Beurre,  Doyenne  du 
Comice,  Glou  Morceau,  Beurr^  Ranee,  Josephine  de  Malines, 
and  Bergamotte  Esperen  to  be  abundantly  planted  against 
walls  wherever  a  prime  supply  of  first  rate  winter  pears  is 
a  want — and  of  course  it  is  a  very  general  one. 

Some  of  our  authorities  on  fruit  growing  give  the  Easter 
Beurre  as  one  which  should  be  planted  as  a  bush  or  pyramid, 
and  say  it  is  '^  mealy  and  insipid  from  walls/'  To  show  how 
worthless  is  this  opinion,!  have  merely  to  point  to  the  fact  that 
the  splendid  Easter  Beurr^s  which  adorn  our  tables  in  winter 
and  spring  are  grown  on  walls  in  France.  All  of  the  same 
variety  for  the  imperial  table  are  grown  in  like  manner  at 
Versailles ;  and  as  soon  as  a  wall  is  cleared  of  other  varieties 
of  Pear  trees  there  it  is  immediately  planted  with  the  Easter 
Beurp^— -so  much  is  this  fine  variety  esteemed.  The  quantity 
of  its  fruits  sold  in  the  markets  of  Europe  during  the  winter 
season  is  something  incredible.  It  is  perhaps  the  most  valu- 
able of  all  winter  Pears ;  and  the  chief,  I  may  say  nearly  the 
whole  supply  comes  from  France.  The  climate  does  it,  some 
will  say,  but  such  is  not  the  case ;  for  if  left  to  the  climate  un- 
aided, we  should  have  few  fine  Easter  Beurre  pears  in  Covent- 
garden  in  winter.  And  the  same  remark  applies  to  other 
varieties  of  winter  Pears.  The  flavour  is  said  to  be  inferior 
when  grown  against  walls.     Let  us  try  them  against  white 


HOW  ARE  WE   TO   IMPROVE?  823 

walls  as  the  Frencli  do,  and  see  if  we  cannot  nearly  or  quite 
equal  their  pears  in  size,  and  quite  equal  them  in  flavour. 
We  have  been  for  years  planting  them  as  bushes  and 
pyramids,  and  paying  little  or  no  attention  to  their  culture 
against  walls ;  hence  our  deficiency  of  good  winter  pears — 
those  which  are  by  far  the  most  valuable  of  all. 

Having  taken  sufficient  care  to  select  the  very  best  va- 
rieties, and  to  place  them  in  positions  where  they  are  likely 
to  succeed,  there  is  more  to  be  done  in  getting  rid  of  the 
bad  ones.     They  abound  in  every  part  of  the  country,  and 
take  up  space  in  which  the  most  delicious  kinds  may  be 
grown.     This  prevalence  of  bad  kinds  not  only  results  from 
the  greater  scarcity  of  the  good  varieties  in  bygone  days, 
but  also  from  the  large  number  of  inferior  kinds  that  are 
still  offered  for    sale.      In  very  many  cases   the  tree    is 
worthless,  because  it  has  not  been  planted  in  a  position  to 
insure  success.     It  frequently  happens,  for  example,  that 
the  very  finer  kinds  of  winter  Pears,   and  those  which  the 
French  grow   against  walls   around  Paris,  are  in  Britain 
sent  out  as  suitable  for  pyramids.     All  worthless  Pear  trees 
should  be  destroyed,  and   good  kinds  planted  or  (happily 
there  is  an  alternative)  regrafted  with  good  sorts.     Instead 
of  sacrificing  a  plantation  we  may  cut  the  trees  close  in, 
regraft  the  branches  with  the  best  kinds,  and  thus  in  a 
short  time   have  established  trees  of  the  finest  sorts  that 
arrive   at  perfection  in  any  given  locality.     This  may  be 
performed   with  either  standard,  pyramid,  wall,  or  espalier 
trees,  "  crown "  grafting  being  the  best  for  this  purpose. 
Another  great  point   would  be  gained  if  the  custom  of 
growing    inferior    kinds    from     pips — which    is    common 
among  farmers  in  some  ftiiit  growing  districts,  with  Pears 
as  well  as   other  hardy  fruits — were  abandoned,  and  only 
first-rate  and  hardy  kinds  planted  or  grafted. 

It  was  touching  the  utility  of  the  low  cordon  for  the 
production  of  superb  dessert  Apples  that  we  have  had  most 
discussion ;  and  a  much  wider  experience  with  French  fruit 
gardens  enables  me  to  say  that  it  is  worthy  of  all  the  praise 
that  I  have  given  it,  and  certain,  when  well  managed^  to 
give  the  highest  satisfaction.     The  reader  will  kindly  ob- 

Y  2 


324  IfRUIT  CULTORE: 

serve  that  I  specially  recommend  only  one  species  of  cot- 
don  for  the  Apple.  There  are  many  kinds^  with  varions  merits. 
The  grower  for  market  will  also  oblige  me  by  bearing  in 
mind  that  I  only  recommend  it  for  the  garden  and  for  a 
special  pnrpose.  Emphatically  I  say  that  a  good  hardy 
kind  on  a  well-managed  standard  or  naturally  developed 
tree  is  the  best  for  the  supply  of  the  markets  with  all  but 
the  best  firuits^  and  for  all  ordinary  purposes ;  and  that  the 
system  of  orcharding  in  the  London  market  gardens  is  on 
the  whole  a  good  and  safe  one.  Oenerally  speaking  our 
apple-culture  is  not  to  be  complained  of^  though  it  may 
certainly  be  improved.  There  is  in  this  country  a  lai^ 
demand  for  fruit  of  the  finest  quality  that  can  be  obtained^ 
both  in  the  case  of  those  who  buy  all  they  use  and  those 
who  grow  their  own.  In  these  islands  it  is  also  generally 
admitted  that  to  keep  the  sun  from  the  general  contents  of 
our  gardens  by  shading  them  with  Apple  trees  is  anything 
but  desirable^  and  therefore  I  recommend  the  cordon  trained 
as  an  edging,  and  on  wire^  tightened  as  before  described, 
at  one  foot  from  the  ground.  I  have  ascertained  beyond 
all  question  that  where  well  managed  these  will,  if  placed 
alongside  the  walks  in  the  kitchen  and  fruit  gardens,  fur- 
nish abimdance  of  fruit  without  planting  any  others. 

Now,  in  many  places  the  positions  in  which  this  plantation 
may  be  made  are  quite  unoccupied,  and  therefore  the  system 
will  prove  a  decided  gain.  It  will  have  to  encounter  pre- 
judice and  bad  management ;  but  once  well  managed  speci- 
mens are  seen  in  our  gardens  it  will  spread  rapidly  through 
these  islands,  and  prove  a  great  boon  wherever  perfect  fruit 
is  desired.  I  have  passed  through  many  parts  of  northern 
England  and  Scotland  during  the  past  year  or  two — districts 
in  which  every  ray  of  sun  is  required ;  and  yet  in  these  you 
see  in  all  directions  the  gardens  shaded  and  half  destroyed 
by  old  standard  Apple  trees.  This  is  especially  the  case  with 
the  smaller  class  of  gardens,  in  which  you  may  frequently 
see  gouty  old  trees  shading  and  souring  the  aspect  of  the 
very  house  itself.  The  objections  urged  against  the  simple 
cordon  are  dealt  with  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  this  system 
of   culture.      Let  no   person   think   he   has   fairly   tried 


HOW   ABB  WB  TO   IMPROVE  ?  S2b 

tke  cordoii  system  if  he  employs  what  is  called  the  "  English 
Paradise  "  stock. 

And  now  a  few  words  about  the  Peach.  This  fruit 
attains  the  finest  possible  condition  when  well  grown  against 
walls  in  England.  In  other  countries  it  may  be  grown 
freely  as  a  standard  tree ;  in  none  can  they  produce  finer 
or  better  fruit  than  may  be  gathered  from  walls  in  England 
and  Ireland.  France  has  very  diverse  climates — some  in 
which  the  Peach  grows  well  as  a  standard — but  the  best 
Peaches  grown  in  France  are  gathered  from  walls  in  those 
parts  where  the  climate  is  most  like  our  own.  In  the 
middle  of  September^  1867^  I  ate  capital  specimens  of 
Crawford^s  Early  Peach,  gathered  from  pyramid  trees  stand- 
ing in  the  open  quarters  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Benyon's  ga^rden 
in  Suffolk.  I  by  no  means  mention  this  as  an  example  to 
be  followed,  but  simply  to  prove  that  in  the  midland  and 
southern  parts  of  the  British  Isles  the  Peach  may  be  grown 
against  walls  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection  ;  and  in 
favourable  parts  of  the  south,  the  Early  York  Peach  may  be 
grown  with  success  as  a  standard  or  bush  tree,  away  from 
all  protection. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  about  the  fact,  that  if 
we  pay  as  much  attention  to  the  Peach  as  the  cultivators  of 
Montreuil  do,  we  can  attain  quite  as  good  a  result.  The 
fact  cannot  be  too  widely  known  that  no  fruit  tree  nailed 
against  walls  furnishes  a  more  certain  and  regular  crop  than 
the  Peach  tree  when  well  treated ;  and  yet  it  is  hardly  possible 
to  buy  a  good  Peach  in  London.  In  Covent-garden,  it  is 
true,  excellent  Peaches  may  be  bought  at  Sd.  and  Is.  each^ 
but  those  sold  by  most  fruiterers  at  3d.  and  ^d.  are  worse 
than  those  procurable  in  Paris  for  a  sou,  and  are  only  fit 
for  pig-feeding.  And  in  numbers  of  private  gardens  the  fruit 
is  by  no  means  common.  Our  good  gardeners  understand  its 
culture  well  enough ;  but  of  late  years  public  attention  has, 
by  various  means  which  I  will  not  detail  here,  been  called 
away  from  the  fact  that,  with  walls,  we  can  produce  the 
finest  fruit  in  the  world,  and  without  them  do  little  or 
nothing  with  the  choicer  fruits.  The  "  power  of  the  climate'' 
in  Paris  may  be  very  wonderful  to  some  people,  but  there  is 


826  FEUIT   CULTURE: 

one  tUng  it  cannot  do  better  than  our  own — it  cannot 
produce  a  better  Peach  than  I  have  often  gathered  from 
walls  both  in  England  and  Ireland.  It  would  be  thought, 
perhaps,  that  with  their  fine  climate,  the  French  would 
be  able  to  dispense  with  protection  to  the  trees  in  spring, 
and  altogether  leave  their  trees  more  to  nature  than  the 
British  gardener ;  but  the  fact  is  exactly  the  reverse.  The 
French  peach-grower  takes  care  to  have  a  good  protecting 
coping  to  his  wall.  With  us  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  the 
culture  of  the  Peach  and  Nectarine  attempted,  and  even  with 
success,  without  any  coping  at  aU.  The  French  cultivator 
frequently  places  iron  rods  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  long, 
and  furnished  with  a  catch  at  the  end,  just  under  the  per- 
manent coping  of  his  wall,  which  rods  enable  him  to  slip  on 
a  most  efficient  protection  in  the  shape  of  a  temporary 
coping  just  under  the  permanent  one.  I  know  one  grower 
who  has  4000  yards  of  this  temporary  coping,  made  of  tar- 
paulin, stretched  on  cheap  light  frames. 

This  is,  I  trust,  a  sufficient  commentary  upon  the  climatic 
advantages  possessed  by  the  two  sets  of  gardeners !  Of 
course  we  want  this  protection  as  badly  as  the  French,  if 
not  worse.  Over  the  greater  part  of  the  country,  without 
question,  the  Peach  may  be  grown  to  the  highest  degree  of 
perfection,  and  yet,  though  few  Englishmen  coidd  manage, 
as  Johnson  did,  "  seven  or  eight  large  peaches  of  a  morning 
before  breakfast  began,^^  they  may  well  say  with  him  that 
getting  "  enough *'  of  them  was  indeed  a  rarity.  It  is  stated 
in  a  recently  published  book  on  fruits  that  for  the  majority 
of  the  population  to  partake  plentifully  of  this  fruit,  ''  the 
only  hope  that  can  be  held  out  involves  nothing  less  than 
an  emigration  across  the  Atlantic  V  The  present  state  of 
matters  justifies  the  writer  in  the  remark.  The  quality  of 
the  Peaches  sold  at  the  lowest,  but  by  no  means  a  low  price, 
is  such  as  to  prevent  anybody  making  a  second  investment 
in  them,  and  therefore  the  fruit  is,  as  the  writer  remarks 
in  describing  it,  "3,  luxury  confined  to  the  wealthy.*' 
Before  it  is  otherwise,  good  fruit  must  be  sold  at  a  price 
that  will  put  it  within  tasting  reach  of  others  than  lliose 
provided  with  a  powdered  footman  to  convey  it  frx)m  the 


HOW  ARE  WE   TO  IMPROVE?  327 

fasliionable  fruiterers  to  the  carriage  waiting  at  the  end  of 
the  "  Row/'  To  market  gardeners  I  may  with  respect  to 
this  firuit  offer  a  word  of  advice,  though  I  have  not  ventured 
to  do  so  with  regard  to  other  matters.  To  succeed  with 
the  Peach  you  must  remove  it  altogether  from  the  chance 
culture  now  bestowed  upon  it;  you  must  employ  men  to 
give  it  full  attention  in  spring  and  early  summer ;  you  must 
select  suitable  soil  in  the  first  instance,  and  thus  avoid 
expense  for  what  is  called  made  ground.  You  must 
take  care  to  protect  the  trees  in  spring,  as  the  careful 
French  cultivators  do;  and  you  must  take  advantage  of  the 
very  cheap  and  excellent  way  of  erecting  walls  that  I  have 
alluded  to.  No  chance  culture  on  any  walls  that  may 
happen  to  surround  the  place  will  alter  matters  much. 

The  same  remarks  apply  to  some  extent  to  the  private 
gardeners  and  to  amateurs.  They  should  pay  more  atten- 
tion to  walls,  erect  more  and  utilize  those  they  already 
have.  I  had  a  letter  lately  from  Mr.  J.  A.  Watson  of 
Geneva,  in  which  the  writer  describes  a  village  church 
as  being  covered  with  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  and  goes 
on  to  state  that  the  sexton  gives  a  lecture  on  the  subject 
now  and  then  to  the  natives  on  Sunday  mornings.  I  do 
not  wish  the  example  to  be  followed,  nor  the  glorious  old 
Ivy  to  be  disturbed  even  for  the  luscious  Peach ;  but  we 
may  do  a  good  deal  more  than  at  present  with  our  unoc- 
cupied walls.  Probably  many  readers  who  live  near  Oxford 
can  testify  to  the  beauty  and  profit  that  results  from  the 
villagers  covering  their  walls  with  Apricot  trees.  The  same 
may  be  done  in  many  parts  of  England  where  such  a  thing 
is  not  now  to  be  seen ;  but  in  the  case  of  cottagers  and 
others  the  only  thing  likely  to  do  good  is  example.  If  they 
see  a  specimen  of  success  they  need  no  other  encourage- 
ment. And  perhaps  I  may  here  suggest  that  a  present 
of  a  few  good  kinds  of  trees,  and  perhaps  a  few  minutes' 
advice  from  the  gardener,  would  be  more  productive  of 
benefit  to  cottagers  than  many  other  things  given  them  in  a 
charitable  way. 

As  to  our  various  other  hardy  fruits,  including  the  Apple 
and  Pear,  there   can  be  little  doubt  that  it  is  to  good 


328  FRUIT  CULTURE; 

orchard  culture  we  must  look  for  the  increase  of  our  sup- 
plies. The  word  orchard  is  fiEtmiliar  enough  in  our  ears^  but 
a  really  good  orchard  is  as  rare  round  country  seats  as  if  it 
were  not  a  British  institution.  There  are  farmers  and 
market  gardeners  and  fruit  growers  who  have  the  finest 
orchards;  but  at  the  country  seat^  with  generally  every 
opportunity  to  select  a  good  site^  it  is  surprising  how  rarely 
even  a  presentable  thing  of  the  kind  is  attempted.  Indeed, 
in  some  parts  of  the  country  it  is  never  thought  of — ^the 
ordinary  type  of  kitchen  garden  being  considered  sufScient 
for  all  attempts  at  fruit  growing.  I  say  attempts  advisedly, 
for  what  do  half  the  gardens  in  the  country  show  ?  The 
surface  cannot  be  devoted  to  standard  trees,  as  they  hide 
the  light  from  the  necessary  crops,  and  the  walls  and  dwarf 
trees,  if  such  there  be,  are  those  upon  which  the  gardener  de- 
pends. Now  good  wall  culture  is  not  common,  even  in 
places  where  a  regular  staff  of  gardeners  is  kept ;  and  in 
hundreds  of  cases  where  there  are  not,  the  trees  are  *'  aban- 
doned to  themselves.^'  But  supposing  that  the  wall  culture  is 
good,  and  that  the  most  is  made  of  the  space,  it  is  hardly 
sidficient  to  yield  a  crop  of  fruit  such  as  one  would  like  for 
eating,  cooking,  preserving,  and  presents.  If  the  walls 
supply  a  good  dessert  for  a  reasonable  length  of  time,  it  is 
as  much  as  is  expected  of  them,  and  more  than  they  gene- 
rally do.  They  who  secure  a  good  crop  of  winter  Pears, 
who  can  command  really  eatable  specimens  of  this  fruit 
during  the  winter  and  spring  months,  are  luckier  than  most 
persons  in  possession  of  garden  walls.  The  walls  can  only 
supply  a  portion  of  the  choicest  fruit — chiefly  of  those  kinds 
which  require  the  additional  heat  of  a  wall  for  their  perfect 
development  and  flavour. 

Let  us  next  glance  at  the  fruit  trees  in  the  garden  itself. 
Standards  we  see  are  not  much  grown;  they  shade  the 
ground  too  much,  and  the  crops  are  better  when  fully 
exposed  to  sun  and  air.  In  some  places  the  culture  of 
bush  and  dwarf  pyramidal  trees  is  carried  on  successfrdly, 
but  in  general  it  is  so  backward  that  nothing  like  a  good 
crop  is  gathered.  Besides,  all  dwarf  closely  pruned  and 
accurately  trained  trees  require  considerable  expense  and 


HOW   ARE  WS   TO  IMPROVE?  329 

time ;  and  it  is  sheer  folly  to  bestow  these  on  kinds  which 
will  produce  as  good  a  result  if  grown  as  standard  trees, 
requiring  hardly  any  attention^  and  actually  permitting  of 
as  good  a  crop  of  some  things  being  gathered  from  under 
them  as  if  the  trees  did  not  exist.  Perhaps  there  may  be 
a  few  espaliers  in  the  garden ;  but  they  are  usually  so  very 
few,  and  so  very  badly  managed  and  ugly,  that  little  firuit 
is  got  from  them.  I  look  forward  to  the  time  when  the 
well  trained  espalier,  on  its  cheap,  neat,  and  permanent 
trellis  of  galvanized  wire,  will  run  along  within  a  few  feet 
of  every  garden  walk ;  but  little  can  be  reaped  from  such 
as  we  have  at  present.  It  follows,  then,  that  in  private 
grounds  there  is  as  a  rule  no  source  from  which  an  abun- 
dant stock  of  the  better  kinds  of  hardy  fruit  may  be  gathered. 
Most  of  our  fruits  are  wholesome  and  delicious  food,  or 
capable  of  being  made  so.  They  should  be  much  more 
abimdant  than  they  are  at  present,  and  might  form  part  of 
the  daily  meal  of  every  Briton.  But  if  the  country  gentle- 
man, to  whom  the  production  of  these  frnits  should  be  a 
matter  of  the  greatest  ease,  does  not  lead  the  way,  how  are 
we  to  improve  ?  The  chief  thing  necessary  is  to  plant  an 
orchard,  carefully  choosing  the  site,  and,  above  all  things, 
selecting  the  very  best  kinds,  all  perfectly  hardy,  and  such 
as  ripen  their  fruit  every  year,  be  the  season  what  it  may. 
Such  an  orchard  would  be  very  convenient  near  the  garden, 
and  in  fact  might  form  part  and  parcel  of  it ;  but  as  the 
care  required  is  nearly  none,  except  the  pleasant  one  of 
gathering  the  frniit,  it  woidd  not  matter  much  about  its 
position.  The  first  consideration  should  be  the  selection  of 
the  most  suitable  soil  at  the  owner^s  disposal.  Not  an  inch 
of  space  of  the  whole  need  be  lost.  All  the  trees  should  be 
allowed  to  grow  as  standards,  and  the  crops  to  be  gathered 
from  them  would  soon  put  to  shame  the  few  dozens  that  are 
considered  a  wonderful  crop  on  the  wall  or  dwarf  tree.  All  the 
wall,  dwarf,  and  espalier  trees  might  then  be  exclu* 
sively  kinds  that  require  some  additional  heat  or  atten- 
tion, or  that  the  shelter  and  support  of  the  espalier  and 
the  cordon  are  an  advantage  to.  As  protection  of  some 
kind  might  be  provided  for  most  of  these  carefully  trained 


880  FRUIT   CULTURE: 

trees^  it  would  of  course  be  wise  to  include  among  them  all 
tbe  sorts  most  liable  to  be  injured  by  spring  frosts.  And 
suoh  kinds  are  so  abundant  that  all  the  walls  and  espaliers 
might  well  be  devoted  to  them. 

The  apparent  utility  of  such  an  orchard  is  so  great  that 
to  speak  of  its  beauty  can  hardly  be  necessary ;  and  yet  we 
question  if  those  who  ought  to  be  most  interested  in  the 
matter  have  the  least  idea  of  this.  It  is  difficult  for  those 
who  do  not  live  in  a  good  firuit  growing  or  orcharding  dis- 
trict to  have  any  notion  of  what  an  ornamental  as  weU  as  useful 
thing  a  good  orchard  or  fruit  garden  is.  I  have  never  any- 
where seen  in  gardens  of  the  usual  type  such  a  picture  as  I 
did  during  the  past  year  in  the  well  managed  orchards  or  fruit 
gardens  of  a  west  London  market  gardener— one  who  devotes 
about  sixty  acres  to  fruit  culture.  His  groves  of  Cherries, 
Pears,  and  Plums  were  superb — the  Plum  trees,  densely  laden 
with  their  purple  eggs,  being  as  attractive  from  colour  alone 
as  many  ornamental  plants  are  when  in  flower.  The  pro- 
duce is  enormous,  compared  to  what  we  are  accustomed  to 
from  the  garden  managed  in  the  ordinary  way.  Of  course 
such  a  scene  is  a  garden  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.  An 
acre  or  two  planted  after  this  fashion  would  be  productive 
of  more  satisfaction  than  any  other  attempt  at  fruit  growing, 
though  it  is  by  far  the  most  inexpensive  of  all. 

The  only  points  to  be  attended  to  as  regards  pruning, 
are  an  occasional  winter  pruning  to  open  them  up  to  the 
frdl  influence  of  light,  and  a  thinning  of  the  fruit  buds  to 
concentrate  the  energies  of  the  trees,  and  thereby  much  im- 
prove the  value  of  their  produce.  These  operations  per- 
formed once  every  second  or  third  winter  will  do  much  good. 
It  is  true  that  without  them  the  pear  may  be  profitably  culti- 
vated; but  I  know  of  one  instance  near  London  in  which  a 
grower  of  the  Pear  as  a  standard,  or  orchard,  tree  on  an  exten- 
sive scale  has  doubled  the  market  value  of  his  fruit  by  well 
thinning  the  buds  and  branchlets — operations  which  are 
carried  out  in  winter,  when  time  can  be  most  readily 
spared  for  such  work.  If  this  were  generally  done  by 
orchardists  it  would  lead  to  much  improvement.  The 
orchard  once  planted  it  would  not  prove  much  addition  to 


HOW   ABB   WB   TO  IMPROVB?  831 

the  labour  of  the  gardener^  and  the  abundant  crops  might 
often  save  him  from  the  grumblings  that  are  sometimes 
known  to  accompany  large  garden  expenditure  and  a 
scarcity  of  vegetables  and  fruits. 

Having  said  so  much  in  favour  of  good  orchard 
culture  it  behoves  me  to  give  the  names  of  the  kinds 
of  hardy  fruit  that  do  best  as  standard  orchard  trees : — 
Pears:  Jersey  Gratioli,  Doyenn^  du  Comice,  Citron  des 
Carmes^  Jargonelle,  Williams's  Bon  Chretien,  Aston 
Town,  Beurre  de  Capiaumont,  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey, 
Suffolk  Thorn,  Thompson's  Pear,  Beurre  d'Amanlis,  Swan's 
Egg,  Croft  Castle,  Doyenne  d'Ete,  Comte  de  Lamy, 
Knight's  Monarch,  Althorpe  Crassane,  Marie  Louise,  and 
Beurre  Superfin.  Apples :  Borovitsky,  Early  Harvest,  Irish 
Peach,  Joanneting,  Summer  Golden  Pippin,  Lord  SuflSeld, 
Keswick  Codlin,  Adams's  Pearmain,  Blenheim  Pippin,  Cox's 
Orange  Pippin,  Early  Nonpareil,  Golden  Pippin,  Ribston 
Pippin,  Sykehouse  Russet,  Bedfordshire  Foundling,  Haw- 
thomden,  Yorkshire  Greening,  Golden  Noble,  Court  Penda 
Plat,  Golden  Harvey,  Sam  Young,  Stunner  Pippin,  Beauty 
of  Kent,  Dumelow's  Seedling,  Royal  Pearmain,  Tower 
of  Glammis,  and  Pitmaston  Nonpareil.  Plums :  Pond's 
Seedling,  Early  Rivers,  Orleans,  Gisbome's,  Victoria,  Prince 
Englebert,  and  Damson.  Cherries :  May  Duke,  Early 
Prolific,  Bigarreau,  Late  Duke,  Knight's  Early  Black,  Belle 
Agathe,  Rival,  and  Mammoth.  Apricots  (for  standard  trees 
in  the  southern  counties) :  Breda,  Brussels,  Turkey,  and 
Moorpark.  Figs :  Black  Tschia,  Brown  Ischia,  Brown 
Turkey,  and  Courcourcelle  Blanche.  These  would  be  better 
grown  as  shrubs,  with  low  sweeping  branches,  and  buried  in 
the  ground  in  winter  to  save  them  from  the  frosts,  as  the 
French  do  about  Argenteuil.  Medlars :  The  Nottingham  is 
the  best  kind.  Nuts :  Lambert's  Filbert  (Kentish  cob)  is 
the  best;  Purple  Filbert,  Pearson's  Prolific,  and  Cosford 
also  good.  Of  the  Quinces  the  Portugal  is  the  best.  The 
Berberry  is  rarely  cultivated,  though  worth  that  trouble. 
Where  the  fruit  is  much  in  request,  it  would  be  a  good 
plan  to  inclose  the  orchard  with  a  dense  hedge  of  this  shrub. 
The  stoneless  variety  is  the  best,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  get  the 


832  FRUIT   OULTURB: 

tme  kind.     The  smaller  fruits  are  so  well  known  and  abun- 
dantly grown  that  it  is  needless  to  speak  of  them. 

Of  the  various  waste  spaces  where  good  fruit  might  be 
grown  the  most  conspicuous  are  the  railway  embankments. 
Here  we  have  a  space  quite  unused^  and  on  which  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  fruit  trees  may  be  planted^  that  will  after  a 
few  years  yield  profit^  ahd  continue  to  do  so  for  a  long  time 
with  but  little  attention.  I  am  not  aware  that  any  attempt  has 
been  made  to  cultivate  firuit  trees  on  these  places  in  England ; 
but  learning  that  one  had  been  instituted  in  France^  I  went 
to  see  the  experiment  which  has  been  made  for  a  distance 
of  eight  leagues  or  so  along  the  line  from  Gretz  to  Colom- 
miers — Chemin  de  Fer  de  TEst.  The  French  see  the  great 
advantage  of  utilizing  spots  at  present  worthless  in  this  way, 
and  are  beginning  to  work  at  it;  but  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  they  are  nearly  as  backward  as  ourselves.  It  is 
true  you  now  and  then  hear  of  somebody  becoming  a  rentier 
by  planting  a  barren  mountain  side  with  Cherries^  but  on 
the  whole  they  have  nearly  as  much  to  do  as  we  have  with 
regard  to  fruit  culture  in  waste  and  profitless  places.  How- 
ever^ they  have  commenced^  and  it  is  most  likely  the  first  trial 
will  be  a  profitable  one^  though  by  no  means  so  inexpensive 
as  like  ones  might  be  made. 

A  cheap  fence  of  galvanized  wire  runs  on  each  side  of  the 
linCj  and  on  this  Pear  trees  are  trained  so  that  their  branches 
cross  each  other ;  and  they  are^  though  only  in  their  fourth 
year^  at  the  top  of  the  fence.  In  some  parts  they  are  trained 
in  like  manner  on  the  slender  but  very  cheap  and  slight 
kind  of  wooden  fence^  so  common  in  France.  By  training 
them  in  a  way  to  cross  and  support  each  other^  before  the 
time  the  fence  decays  the  trees  are  perfectly  self-supporting, 
and  form  a  very  neat  fence  themselves.  This  is  a  plan  well 
worth  adopting  in  many  gardens  where  neat  dividing  lines 
are  desired.  Judging  from  appearances^  these  trees  will  bear 
abundantly  for  many  years  to  come.  But  this^  although, 
something  in  the  right  direction^  does  not  occupy  more  than 
a  mere  thread  of  the  space  on  each  side  of  the  line^  and  I  cannot 
but  think  that  much  more  might  be  done  on  the  remaining 
surface  by  planting  small  trees.     It  would  be  a  great  point 


HOW    ARE   WE   TO    IMPROVE?  333 

gained  if  we  could  have  dwarf  productive  trees  without 
having  to  go  to  expense  for  fixing  or  training  them — ^if  we 
could  make  them  self-supporting^  in  fact. 

It  is  quite  possible   to  train  espaliers   of  the   choicest 
varieties   of   pears    so   that    they   shall    be  perfectly   self- 
supporting^   as   shown  by  the 
figure,  or   in  some   like   way.  Fia.  139. 

Established  trees  that  I  saw 
crosssed  in  this  way  were  not 
allowed  to  get  into  a  rough 
hedge-like  condition,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  trained  as  neatly 
and  perfectly  as  ever  trees 
were  on  trellis  or  wall.  No 
flaying  of  the  branches  re-  Young  line  of  self-snpportiDg 
suited  from  their  being  inter- 
laced. A  shoot  was  taken  along  the  top  so  as  to  act  as  a 
finish  and  tend  to  hold  all  tighter,  and  the  whole  looked 
much  firmer  and  neater  than  the  ill-supported  and  ill-trained 
espaliers  that  one  too  often  sees  at  home.  Other  examples 
of  self-supporting  espaliers  are  figured  elsewhere  in  this 
book. 

A  mere  line  of  trees,  however,  trained  along  a  railway, 
will  not  eflPect  the  improvement  we  require.  Why  not  plant 
pyramid  or  bush  trees  in  such  positions  ?  Why  not  the  Pig 
in  the  southern  counties  ?  By  covering  nearly  all  the  sur- 
face of  those  sunny  banks — in  many  cases  of  excellent  soil — 
there  would  be  enough  work  to  do  to  make  it  necessary 
and  profitable  to  have  men  in  charge  of  comparatively  short 
lengths  of  the  line,  and  these  men  wotdd  be  able  to  better 
protect  the  fruit.  On  the  French  railway  in  question  the 
fence  of  fruit  trees  is  carried  along,  no  matter  what  the  soil 
or  situation.  A  more  rational  system  would  be  to  adopt  the 
kind  of  tree  to  the  soil,  and  simply  take  the  more  desirable 
spots  at  first. 


334 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    CORDON   SYSTEM   OF  FBXJIT   GROWING. 

The  first  thing  we  have  to  settle  is,  What  is  a  cordon  ? 
There  has  been  some  little  discussion  on  this  point — discus- 
sion that  was  utterly  needless,  and  even  mischievous,  as 
tending  to  prevent  the  public  knowing  exactly  what  the 
term  is  used  for.  It  simply  means  a  tree  confined  to  a 
single  stem ;  that  stem  being  furnished  with  spurs,  or  some- 
times with  little  fruiting  branches  nailed  in,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  peach  when  trained  to  one  stem.  Some  contended 
that  it  meant  any  form  of  branch  closely  spurred  in ;  but 

Fio.  140. 


The  Apple  trained  as  a  Simple  Horizontal  Cordon,  grafted  on  the  French 

Paradise  Stock,  and  in  full  bearing. 

this  is  quite  erroneous.  The  term  is  never  applied  to  any 
form  of  tree  but  the  small  and  simple  stemmed  ones.  The 
French  have  no  more  need  of  the  word  to  express  a  tree 
trained  on  the  spur  system  than  we  have,  and  they  have 
trained  trees  on  that  system  for  ages  without  ever  calling 
them  by  this  name.  Before  it  was  given  to  the  forms  of 
Apple  and  Pear  and  Peach-trees  shown  in  this  chapter,  or 
rather  before  they  came  into  use,  it  was  chiefly  applied  to  a 
mode  of  training  plants  horizontally — each  plant  resembling 
what  we  call  the  bilateral  cordon.  (See  the  engravings  illus- 
trating Vine  culture  at  Thomery.)  However,  to  settle  the 
use  of  the  term,  I  wrote  to  Professor  Du  Breuil,  the  leading 
professor  of  fruit  culture  in  France.     His  reply  was  thus 


THE   CORDON   SYSTEM   OF   FRUIT   GROWING.        335 

alladed  to  in  the  Gardener's  Chronicle : — ''  What  a  vast 
proportion  of  controversy  and  dispute  might  be  saved^  would 
people  only  agree  as  to  the  meaning  to  be  attached  to 
words.  Just  now^  as  it  appears  to  us^  a  great  deal  of 
unnecessary  discussion  is  raised  as  to  the  word  'cordon.' 
A  wrangle  about  words  is  about  as  satisfactory  as  an  argu- 
ment to  prove  a  negative.  It  may  serve,  perhaps,  to  stop 
this  futile  wordy  debate  to  give  the  opinion  of  M.  Du  Breuil 
himself  on  the  matter.  This  renowned  horticulturist,  in  a 
recently  written  letter,  which  has  been  submitted  for  our 
inspection,  says  that  he  applied  the  word  '  cordon  ^  to  trees 


Fia.  141. 


Tree  with  horizontal  branches.  This  form,  verj  commonly  seen  in  our  gardens, 
has  been  called  a  "  cordon*'  by  some  writers,  but  has  nothing  whatever  to  do 
with  that  form. 

consisting  of  a  single  branch,  bearing  fruit-spurs  only, 
and  never  allowed  to  ramify.  When  there  are  two  such 
branches,  M.  Du  Breuil  applies  the  expression  'double 
cordon.'  In  order  to  be  quite  accurate,  we  subjoin  M.  Da 
Breuil's  letter  verbatim  et  literatim  : — 

'  Le  mot  '  cordon '  derive  en  fran9ais  de  cord :  j'ai 
employe  cette  expression  pour  d&igner  les  formes  d'arbres 
dont  la  charpente  se  compose  seidement  d'une  seule  branche 
qui  ne  porte  que  des  rameaux  h  fruit.' " 

Professor  Du  Breuil  states  distinctly  that,  struck  with 
the  long  period  it  took  to  cover  a  wall  by  means  of  the 


336        THE   CORDON   SYSTEM   OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

larger  forms  of  trees,  he  adopted  those  qnick-rising  simple- 
Btemmed  kinds  to  cover  the  walls  rapidly  and  give  an  early 
return.  Now  it  is  clear  that  if  we  call  a  fan^  or  horizon- 
tally trained  tree,  a  "  cordon/'  we  not  only  misapply  the 
term,  but  prevent  the  inventor's  very  clear  idea  from  being 
understood.  Notwithstanding  this,  some  persons  have 
actually  figured  the  old  forms  of  fruit  trees  common  in 
our  gardens  for  ages  and  called  them  cordons.  To  show 
how  erroneous  is  the  impression  that  the  term  applies  to 
any  kind  of  tree  with  the  branches  closely  pinched  in,  I 
have  merely  to  state  that  the  cordon  Peach  trees  in  French 
gardens  are  not  pinched  in  in  this  way,  but  have  the 
wood  regularly  nailed  in,  just  the  same  as  the  common  Peach 
trees  on  our  garden  walls.  However,  the  figures  in  this 
chapter  will  give  a  correct  idea  of  what  the  cordon  system  is. 
A  simple  galvanized  wire  is  attached  to  a  strong  oak  post 
or  rod  of  iron,  so  firmly  fixed  that  the  strain  of  the  wire  may 

Fio.  142. 


The  Simple  Horizontal  Cordon. 

not  disturb  it.  The  wire  is  supported  at  a  distance  of  one 
foot  from  the  ground,  and  tightened  by  one  of  the  handy 
little  implements  described  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The 
raidisseur  will  tighten  several  hundred  feet  erf  the  wire, 
which  need  not  be  thicker  than  strong  twine,  and  of  the 
same  sort  as  that  recommended  for  walls  and  espaliers. 
The  galvanized  wire  known  as  No.  14  is  the  most  suitable 
for  general  use.  At  intervals  a  support  is  placed  under 
the  wire  in  the  form  of  a  piece  of  thick  wire  with  an 
eye  in  it,  and  on  the  wire  the  Apple  on  the  French  paradise 
is  trained,  thus  forming  the  simplest  and  best  and  com- 
monest kind  of  cordon,  and  the  one  so  extensively  employed 
for  making  edgings  aroimd  the  squares  in  kitchen  and  fruit- 
gardens. 


THE   COBDON   STSTKM   Of  FECIT   QBOWINQ. 


337 


Cordons  are  trained  against  vails,  espaliers,  and  in  many 
ways,  but  the  most  popular  form  of  all,  and  the  best  and 
most  useful,  is  the  little  line  of  Apple  trees  acting  as  an 
edging  to  the  quarters  in  the  kitchen  and  fruit  garden. 
By  selecting  good  kinds  and  training  them  in  this  way 
abundance  of  the  finest  firuit  may  be  grown  without 
having  any  of  the  large  trees  or  those  of  any  other 
form  in  the  garden  to  shade  or  occupy  its  surface.  The 
bilateral  cordon  is  useful  for  the  same  purposes  as  the 
simple  one,  and  especially  adapted  to  the  bottoms  of  walls, 
bare  spaces  between  the  fruit  trcea,  the  fronts  of  pits,  or 
any  low  naked  wall  with  a  warm  exposure.  As  in  many 
cases  the  lower   parts 

of  walla  in  gardeus  are  ^"'-  ^*^- 

quite  naked,  this  form 
of  cordon  offers  an 
opportunity  for  cover- 
ing them  with  what 
will  yield  a  certain  and 
valuable  return.  It  is 
by  this  method  that  the 
finest  coloured,  largest, 
and  bcstFrenchAppIes 
sold  in  Covent-garden 
and  in  the  Paris  fruit 
shops  at  such  high 
prices  are  grown.  I 
have  seen  them  this  year  in  Covent-garden  and  in  Eegent- 
street  marked  two  and  three  shillings  each,  and  M.  Lepere  fils, 
of  Montrcuil,  told  me  when  with  him  last  summer  that  they 
have  there  obtained  four  francs  each  for  the  best  fruit  of  the 
Calville  to  send  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  they  are  sold  in  win- 
ter for  as  much  as  eight  francs  each  I  Why  should  we  have 
to  buy  these  from  the  French  at  such  a  high  rate  ?  Con- 
sidering the  enormous  number  of  walled  gardens  there  are 
in  this  country,  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  by 
merely  covering,  by  means  of  this  plan,  the  lower  parts 
of  walls  now  entirely  naked  and  useless,  we  could  supply 
half  a  dozen   markets   like  Covent-garden  with  the  very 


Pippin,  and  alt 
tha  finer  and  tenderer  French,  Americttn,  aad 
British  apples  cia;  be  grown  to  perfection.' 


338        THE   CORDON    SYSTEM    OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

choice  fruit  referred  to^  and  be  entirely  independent  of  the 
French. 

Doubtless  many  think  that  these  very  fine  fruit  require  a 
warmer  climate  than  we  have  for  them.  But  by  treating 
them  as  the  French  do  we  may  produce  as  good  or  a  better 
result^  and  may^  in  addition^  grow  tender  but  fine  apples^ 
like  the  Calville  Blanc^  that  do  little  good  when  grown  as 
standards.  The  climate  in  most  parts  of  England  will  be 
found  to  suit  them  quite  as  well  as  that  of  Paris^  if  not 
better^  because  the  sun  in  France  is  in  some  parts  a  little 
too  strong  for  the  perfect  development  of  the  flesh  and 
flavour  of  the  apple.  There  is  no  part  of  the  country 
in  which  the  low  cordon  will  not  be  found  a  most  useful 
addition  to  the  garden — that  is,  wherever  first-rate  and 
handsome  dessert  fruit  is  a  want.      So  great  is  the  demand 

Fio.  144. 


Young  Cordon  of  the  Lady  Apple  trained  as  an  £dging. 

in  the  markets  for  fruit  of  the  highest  quality  that  some- 
times the  little  trees  more  than  pay  for  themselves  the  first 
year  after  being  planted.  In  any  northern  exposed  and 
cold  places  where  choice  apples  do  not  ripen  well  it  would 
be  desirable  to  give  the  trees  as  warm  and  sunny  a  position 
as  possible,  while  the  form  recommended  for  walls  should  be 
used  extensively.  In  no  case  should  the  system  be  tried 
except  as  a  garden  one — an  improved  method  of  orcharding 
being  what  we  want  for  kitchen  fruit,  and  for  the  supply 
of  the  markets  at  a  cheap  rate. 

When  lines  of  cordons  are  perfectly  well  furnished  the 
whole  line  is  a  thick  mass  of  bold  spurs.  Some  keep  them 
very  closely  pinched  in  to  the  rod,  but  the  best  I  have  ever 
seen  were  allowed  a  rather  free  development  of  spurs,  care 
being  taken  that  they  were  regularly  and  densely  produced 


THE   CORDON    SYSTEM   OP   PEUIT   GROWING.        389 

along  the  stem.  If  anybody  will  reflect  that  as  a  rule  the 
full  vigour  of  the  ordinary  espalier  tree  flows  to  its  upper 
line  of  branches,  he  will  have  no  difficulty  in  seeing  at  a 
glance  the  advantages  of  the  horizontal  cordon^  particularly 
if  he  bears  in  mind  that  the  system  as  generally  applied  to 
the  apple  is  simply  a  bringing  of  one  good  branch  near  the 
earth,  where  it  receives  more  heat,  where  it  causes  no 
injurious  shade,  and  where  it  may  be  protected  with  the 
greatest  efficiency  and  the  least  amount  of  trouble. 

The  system  is  simply  an  extension  of  the  best  principles 
of  pruning  —  a  wise  bending  of  the  young  tree  to  the 
conditions  that  best  suit  it  in  our  northern  climate.  The 
fact  that  by  its  means  we  bring  all  the  fruit  and  leaves 
to  within  ten  inches  or  a  foot  of  the  ground,  thereby  ex- 
posing them  to  an  increase  of  heat^  which  compensates  to  a 

Fio.  146. 


The  Bilateral  Cordon. 


great  extent  for  a  bad  climate,  will  surely  prove  a  strong 
argument  in  its  favour  to  every  intelligent  person. 

The  form  is  so  definite  and  so  simple  that  anybody  may 
attend  to  it,  and  direct  the  energies  of  the  little  trees  to  a 
perfect  end,  with  much  less  trouble  than  is  requisite  to 
form  a  presentable  pyramid  or  bush.  It  does  not,  like 
other  forms,  shade  anything ;  and  beneath  the  very  line  of 
cordons  you  may  grow  a  slight  crop.  They  are  less  trouble 
to  support  than  either  pyramid  or  bush ;  always  under  the 
eye  for  thinning,  stopping,  and  pruning ;  easy  of  protection, 
if  that  be  desired ;  and  very  cheap  in  the  first  instance. 

A  few  words  are  necessary  as  to  the  best  method  of  planting 
and  managing  the  Apple  trained  and  planted  around  the 
quarters  or  borders.  In  a  garden  in  which  particular  neat- 
ness is  desirable  it  would  be  better  to  plant  them  within 
whatever  edging  be  used  for  the  walks ;  but  in  the  rough 
kitchen  or  fruit  garden  they  may  be  used  as  edgings.    The 

z  2 


340        THE   CORDON    STST£M  OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

reason  for  supporting  the  cordon  at  one  foot  from  the  surface 
is  to  prevent  the  fruit  getting  soiled  by  earthy  splash- 
ings.  By  having  something  planted  underneath  which 
would  prevent  this,  we  might  bring  the  cordon  lower  down ; 
but,  though  I  have  thought  of  several  things  likely  to  do 
this,  none  of  them  are  very  satisfactory.  Doubtless,  however, 
we  shall  yet  find  something  that  may  be  cultivated  with  pro- 
fit immediately  under  the  cordon  so  as  to  prevent  splashings, 
and  thus  be  able  to  bring  it  within  six  inches  of  the  earth. 
In  gardens  where  it  would  not  be  suitable  as  an  edging, 
the  best  way  woidd  be  to  plant  it  ten  inches  within  the 
Box  or  whatever  kind  of  edging  was  employed.  In  plant- 
ing, keep  the  union  of  stock  and  scion  just  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  to  prevent  the  Apple  grafted  on  the 

Fio.  146. 


.   ... .-        ■  »~ '^  I 

Heinette  du  Canada  trained  as  a  Cordon. 

Paradise  from  emitting  its  own  roots,  and  consequently 
becoming  useless  for  such  a  mode  of  training.  The  trees 
should  never  be  fixed  down  to  wire  or  wall  immediately  after 
being  planted ;  but  allowed  to  grow  erect  during  the  winter 
months,  and  until  the  sap  is  moving  in  them,  when  they 
may  be  tied  down.  Some  allow  them  to  grow  erect  a  year 
in  position  before  tying  them  down.  They  should  in 
all  cases  be  allowed  to  settle  well  into  the  ground 
before  being  tied  to  anything.  For  general  plantings,  the 
best  and  cheapest  kinds  of  plants  to  get  are  those  known  as 
"  maidens/'  i.e.,  erect  growing  trees  about  a  year  from  the 
bud  or  graft.  These  can  be  readily  trained  down  to  the 
wire,  or  to  the  wall,  in  spring.  In  training  the  young  tree, 
the  point  with  its  young  growing  shoot  of  the  current  year 


THE   CORDON    SYSTEM    OF   FRUIT   GEOWINQ. 


341 


should  always  be  allowed  to  grow  somewhat  erect,  so  that  the 
sap  will  flow  equably  through  the  plant,  drawn  on  by  the 
rising  shoot  at  its  end.  To  allow  gross  shoots  to  rise  at  any 
other  parts  of  the  tree  is  to  spoil  all  prospect  of  snccess. 
If  the  tree  does  not  break  regularly  into  buds,  it  muBt 
be  forced  to  improve  by  making  incisions  before  dormant 
eyes. 

A  chief  point  is  not  to  pinch  too  closely  or  too  soon. 
The  first  stopping  of  the  year  is  the  most  important  one, 
and  the  first  shoots  should  not  be  pinched  in  too  soon; 
but  when  the  wood  at  their  base  is  a  little  firm,  so  that  the 


Edging  of  Simple  Cordoug  three  jean  old  in  FreDch  fnu't  gtiden. 

lower  eyes  at  the  bases  of  the  leaves  may  not  break  soon  after 
the  operation.  Stop  the  shoot  at  five  or  six  leaves,  as  the 
object  is  not  to  have  a  mere  stick  for  the  cordon,  but  a  dense 
bushy  array  of  fruit  spurs  quite  a  foot  or  more  in  diameter, 
when  the  leaves  are  on  in  summer.  All  the  after  piuching 
of  the  year  maybe  shorter,  and  as  the  object  is  to  regularly 
furnish  the  line,  the  observant  trainer  will  vary  his  tactics 
to  secure  that  end — in  one  place  he  will  have  to  repress 
vigour,  in  another  encourage  it.  About  three  general 
stoppings  during  the  summer  will  sufficCj  but  at  all  times 
when  a  strong  soft  "  water  shoot"  shows  itself  well  above 
the  mass  of  fruitful  ones,  it  should  be  pinched  in,  though 


342        THE  CORDON   SYSTEM    Of  FRUIT   GROWING. 


not  too  closely.  I  have  even  in  nurseries  seen  things  called 
'*  cordons''  with  every  shoot  allowed  to  rise  up  like  a  willow 
wand — ^utterly  neglected  and  on  the  wrong  stock;  and  I 
have  in  other  cases  seen  them  so  pinched  in  as  to  be  worth- 
less sticks.  Of  course  success  could  not  be  expected  under 
the  circumstances;  and  I  must  caution  the  reader  against 
taking  such  things  as  examples  of  the  cordon  system^  or 
placing  any  reliance  on  the  opinions  of  their  producers. 

As  the  Paradise  keeps  its  roots  quite  near  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  spreading  an  inch  or  two  of  half  decomposed 
manure  over  the  ground,  or  in  gardening  language  mulching 

it,  could    not  fail 
^^•^^-  to   be     beneficial. 

The  galvanized 
wire  support  (No. 
14)  is  neatest  and 
cheapest,  and  in 
fact,  the  only  one 
that  should  be  used. 
The  cordons  are 
usually  planted'too 
close  together  in 
France.  InDecem- 
ber  last  I  finished 

Grafting  by  approach,  to  unite  the  points  of  Hori-  an        experimental 
Bontal  Cordons.    The  apex  of  each  Cordon  is  cut  at     ,  .  r  Rnn 

A,  when  firmly  united  to  its  neighbour.  plantation    Ot  5U0 

at  six  feet  apart, 
but  anticipate  taking  every  second  one  up  after  a  year  or  two. 
When  the  cordons  overtake  each  other  it  is  common  to  graft 
them  one  to  another — a  very  simple  operation.  K  when 
all  are  united  they  should  grow  too  strong  in  rich  ground, 
the  stem  of  every  second  plant  may  be  cut  off  just  beneath  the 
wire  and  the  trees  will  be  nourished  by  the  others.  When 
the  line  is  well  trained  and  established  the  wire  may  be  taken 
away  altogether ;  but  it  is  so  very  inexpensive  that  it  is 
scarcely  worth  while  removing  it.  If  the  plantation  be 
made  on  a  slope  all  the  trees  should  be  planted  so  as  to 
grow  up  the  incline. 

Finally,  in  winter,  the  trees  will  be  the  better  for  being 


THB   COKDON   8YSTZM    OF   FKDIT   OBOWINQ. 


343 


looked  over  with  a  view  to  a  little  pruning  here  and 
there ;  taking  care  to  thin  and  regulate  the  spurs  when  the 
plantation  is  thoroughly  established,  to  cut  ia  objec- 
tionable stumps,  and  to 
firmly  tie  the  shoots 
along  the  wire.  These 
should  never  be  tied  tight- 
ly, so  as  to  prevent  their 
free  expansion  ;  but  they 
may  be  tied  firmly  with- 
out incurring  any  such 
danger. 

As  the  system  is  chiefly 
valuable  for  the  production 
of  superb  dessert  firuit, 
only  the  finest  kinds 
should  be  selected;  but, 
as  some  apples  are  of  high 
value  both  for  kitchen  and 
dessert,  some  of  the  finer 
kitchen  apples  areincluded 
in  the  following  list  of 
such  as  will  be  found 
very  suitable :  Reiuettc  du 
Canada,  Reinette  du  Ca- 
nada Grise,  Keiuette 
Grise,  Reinette  de  Caux, 
Reinette  d'Espagne,  Rei- 
nette trea  Tardive,  Belle 
Dubois,  Pomme  d'Api, 
Mela  Carla,  CalvUle  St. 
Sauveur,  Coe'a  Golden 
Drops,  Newtown  Pippin, 
Calville  Blanc,  Northern 
Spy,   Slelon-Apple,  Cox's 

Orange  Pippin,  Duke  of  Devonshire,  Kerry  Pippin,  Lodgemore 
NonpareiljWhite  Nonpareil,  American-Mother.Early  Harvest, 
Lord  Burleigh,  Beautyof  Kent,  Bedfordshire  Foundling,Lord 
SufQeld,  Cox's  Pomona,  Hawtbomden^  Tower  of  Glammia, 


344        THE   CORDON    SYSTEM  OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 


apples. 


? 


I 


jr.  5^ 


<a 


Winter   Hawthomden,    Betty  Geeson,    and  Small^s  Admi- 
rable.    Some  of  the  best  of  the  above  are  valuable  keeping 
I  have  seen  the  Reinette  Grise  in  fine  condition  in 

the  markets  at  Rouen  in  June^  and 
Reinette  tres  Tardive  is  good  in 
July.  Those  who  wish  to  plant 
good  early  apples  might  try  Boro- 
vitsky,  and  a  few  of  the  best  early 
kinds;  but  it  is  best  to  devote 
most  of  our  horizontal  cordons  to 
the  growth  of  the  finer,  later,  and 
most  valuable  fruits.  Of  the  above 
selection  the  Calville  Blanc,  the 
Reinette  du  Canada,  and  Mela 
Carla  must  be  grown  on  a  warm 

wall;  Newtown  Pippin,  The  Mo- 

^(S      M  ft  Hier,   Melon,  and    several  of  the 

other  later  and  finer  apples  will 
also  be  grateful  for  the  same  pro- 
tection. 

As  our  stock  of  apples  on  the 
Paradise  are  at  present  chiefly  ob- 
tained from  France,  there  seems 
little  chance  of  our  securing  the 
finer  English  kinds  for  a  while. 
But  more  than  one  of  our  nursery- 
men have  assured  me  of  their  in- 
tention to  plant  and  grafb  this  stock 
largely,  and  I  should  advise  all 
large  fruit  nurserymen  to  do  so. 
They  should  be  offered  as  cheaply  as 
possible  by  the  hundred,  as  they 
will  be  required  in  greater  num- 
bers for  planting  than  any  other 
form.  Of  the  kinds  of  French 
apples  that  may  be  had  grafted 
on  the  Paradise  abundantly  in  nurseries  all  over  France  the 
following  are  among  the  best : — Calville  Blanc,  Reinette 
du  Canada,  R.  d^Angleterre,  R.  Grise,  R.  de  Caux,  R.  tres 


o 

S  p  0 

§«£ 

0 

SS  "^ 

a  3 
3  ® 

(M    OB 

0    SB 

^  O 

S  a 
•5  2L 

0    '^ 
O    DP* 

a  o 
52.® 

i" 

3  ^ 

CUD' 

3 

"I 

S-i 

o 

OD    p 


o 


o 


THE  CORDON    SYSTEM   OF   FRUIT   GROWING.        345 

Tardive,  R.  de  Bretagne,  R.  d^Espagne,  Pomme  d^Api,  Belle 
Dubois,  Belle  Josephine,  Calville  St.  Sauveur.  Doubtless 
ere  long  we  shall  have  an  abundant  stock  of  the  best  English 
kinds  on.  the  right  stock.  As  a  great  number  of  trees  are 
required  for  this  mode  of  planting ;  as  the  apple  on  the 
Paradise  occupies  but  a  small  space  in  nurseries  compared  to 
other  trees,  and  as  it  is  very  likely  there  will  before  long  be 
a  large  trade  in  this  form  of  tree,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  our 
nurserymen  will  offer  suitable  kinds  at  a  very  low  rate  by 
the  dozen,  score,  or  hundred,  as  is  the  case  in  Prance.  I 
have  no  hope  of  the  perfect  and  general  success  of  the  system 
till  this  is  done. 

I  have  recently  received  the  following  on  the  raising 
of  the  Apple  on  the  Paradise  stock  in  nurseries  from 
my  friend  M.  Jean  Durand,  of  the  well-known  fruit  tree 
nurseries  at  Bourg-la-Reine,  near  Paris,  and  have  much 
pleasure  in  giving  it,  particularly  as  it  is  desirable  that  our 
nurserymen,  and  even  in  some  cases  private  growers,  should 
raise  it  for  themselves  : — 

'*  If  the  Apple  tree  is  to  be  grown  in  the  form  of  the 
horizontal  cordon,  it  must  be  grafted  on  the  variety  known 
to  horticulturists  as  the  Paradise.  This  variety,  which 
loves  a  fresh,  damp,  clayey  soil,  cannot  be  grown  from 
seed,  but  must  be  propagated  by  means  of  layers  or  cuttings, 
which  are  obtained  in  the  following  manner : — Having 
chosen  soil  of  the  proper  description,  it  must  be  well  dug 
and  manured.  Trenches,  six  inches  deep  and  a  yard  apart, 
are  then  opened,  and  the  stocks,  which  have  been  procured 
previously,  planted  in  them.  They  should  be  pruned  down 
to  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  in  height,  and  placed  in  the 
trenches  at  a  distance  of  four  inches  apart,  and  in  such  a 
way  that  about  six  inches  of  the  top  appears  above  the 
ground.  The  trenches  are  then  filled  in  and  the  ground 
levelled. 

"  In  the  following  spring,  as  soon  as  there  is  no  longer 
any  danger  from  frost,  the  stocks  are  cut  down  level  with 
the  ground.  The  object  of  this  operation  is  to  develope 
a  number  of  shoots :  these  are  earthed  up  about  June  or  July 
by  covering  them  with  a  small  quantity  of  earth  taken  from 


846        THE   CORDON   STSTEM  OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

the  trench  on  each  side  of  the  line  of  plants^  so  as  to  cover 
their  bases  to  the  depth  of  four  inches  or  so. 

'*  In  the  following  November  these  buds  will  have  taken 
root,  the  plants  from  which  they  take  their  origin  will  con- 
sequently be  alluded  to  in  future  as  old  stools^  and  will 
give  every  year  a  certain  number  of  young  plants. 

''  Every  year  during  the  month  of  November  the  young 
plants  should  be  stripped  from  these  old  stools.  It  is  neces- 
sary above  all  during  the  first  year  to  use  a  strong  secateur 
for  taking  them  off  in  order  not  to  injure  the  stools ;  later 
on  they  may  be  simply  broken  oflf.  Immediately  after  this 
operation  the  wounds  left  in  the  trees  should  be  covered 
over  with  earth.  They  will  perform  the  same  service  for 
a  great  length  of  time — from  five  to  ten  years,  according 
to  the  care  taken  of  them — ^and  the  young  plants  thus  ob- 
tained will  serve  for  grafting  in  the  nursery. 

''For  this  purpose  the  ground  which  is  destined  to 
receive  them  should  be  well  dug  and  then  divided  in  lines 
distant  from  each  other  two  feet  or. two  feet  six  inches. 
The  operation  of  planting  in  beds  requires  great  care.  The 
young  plants  should  be  weU  trimmed  both  at  top  and 
bottom,  80  as  to  give  the  branches  a  uniform  length  of 
sixteen  inches.  They  should  then  be  planted  sixteen  or 
twenty  inches  apart  and  three  or  four  inches  deep,  and  the 
ground  hoed  frequently  imtil  the  month  of  August,  so  as  to 
destroy  the  weeds  and  break  up  the  ground.  At  this  period 
the  young  plants  are  ready  for  budding,  each  subject  re- 
ceiving a  bud  at  about  four  inches  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  Immediately  afterwards,  particularly  in  dry  years, 
it  will  be  well  to  give  them  a  good  hoeing  to  prevent  the 
ground  from  caking  together,  and  to  preserve  it  in  properly 
moist  condition. 

''During  the  winter  the  young  plants  that  have  been 
budded  should  be  stripped  of  all  the  shoots  that  have  grown 
on  them  to  within  a  height  of  three  inches  above  the  bud, 
and  the  plant  itself  should  be  pruned  down  to  this  height. 
The  following  spring  a  certain  number  of  small  shoots  will 
make  their  appearance  all  over  the  pruned  plant.  When 
they  have  reached  a  length  of  an  inch  or  an  inch  and  a 


THE   CORDON    SYSTEM    OF  FRUIT   GROWING.        347 

half,  they  should  be  pinched  down  to  favour  the  growth  of 
the  graft  which  will  have  grown  as  large  as  the  other  buds. 
The  bud  which  has  not  been  pinched  will  naturally  soon 
surpajss  in  size  those  which  have  been.  From  this  time 
it  will  attain  sufficient  strength  to  absorb  the  sap,  and 
it  will  be  necessary  to  destroy  all  useless  shoots.  This  little 
pruning  operation  requires  considerable  caution,  and  is  per- 
formed by  the  aid  of  the  knife.  Care  should  be  taken  not 
to  confound  the  graft  with  the  other  shoots  on  the  plant. 
The  stem  of  the  stock  above  the  bud  being  thus  deprived  of 
its  shoots,  serves  as  a  stake  to  which  to  tie  the  young  growing 
scion.  Tied  thus  loosely,  it  is  preserved  from  accident  during 
its  growth.  This  natural  stake  having  served  its  purpose  is 
cut  away  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and  the  graft  having  at- 
tained its  proper  size  is  ready  for  sale  as  the  scion  or  graft 
of  one  year,  and  may  be  trained  into  any  form  the  grower 
may  think  desirable. 

**  The  Apple  thus  grafted  on  the  Paradise  is,  as  is  well 
known,  a  great  success  throughout  all  parts  of  France  and 
the  adjoining  countries.  In  proportion  to  the  space  it 
occupies,  it  furnishes  a  great  quantity  of  the  finest  fruit. 
It  is  not  rare  to  count  seventy  or  eighty  apples  upon  a 
little  tree  whose  arms  together  are  not  more  than  seven  feet 
long.  This  form  is  due  to  M.  J.  L.  Jamin,  of  Bourg-la- 
Beine.  This  nurseryman  used  to  sell  dwarf  fruit  trees  of  all 
kinds  in  pots  in  the  Paris  market,  and  amongst  them  the 
now  well  known  cordon.  The  form  was  much  appreciated 
and  promptly  spread  abroad,  and  after  having  had  some 
success  at  a  horticultural  exhibition  held  at  the  Louvre,  it 
was  definitely  adopted  in  kitchen  and  fruit  gardens  under 
the  name  of  the  cordon  horizontale. 

"To  establish  the  growth  of  cordons  in  the  nursery  a 
line  of  galvanized  iron  wire  is  stretched  along  the  ground 
at  fourteen  inches  from  the  surface,  and  firmly  fixed  at 
each  end.  The  young  trees  are  then  cut  down  nearly  to 
the  level  of  the  wire,  and  when  they  start  in  spring  two 
opposite  buds  are  chosen  for  the  formation  of  the  two  arms, 
and  allowed  to  grow  during  the  summer,  the  buds  on  the 
stem  below  these  being  pinched  within  an  inch  or  so  of 


34S        THE   CORDON    SYSTEM    OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

their  base.  During  the  summer  the  two  shoots  ought  to 
form  a  strong  cordon  fit  for  sale  in  the  following  winter. 
The  simple  cordon  with  one  branch  is  formed  in  the  same 
manner,  except  that  one  bud  only  is  allowed  to  grow.  There 
are  many  other  methods  of  procuring  these  forms,  but  I 
like  the  one  above  indicated  better  than  that  of  bending 
the  shoot  directly  to  the  wire  either  in  the  first  year  of 
plantation  or  the  second  year,  as  recommended  by  some 
professors.'' 

Since  the  discussion  which  took  place  in  the  Times 
and  the  gardening  journals  concerning  the  merits  of  this 
mode  of  apple-growing,  and  since  the  first  part  of  this 
chapter  was  written,  I  have  seen  miles  of  cordons  on  the 
Paradise  in  many  parts  of  France  and  in  Switzerland,  and 
sought  everywhere  to  ascertain  its  merits  and  defects ;  and 
the  result  is  that  I  am  more  than  ever  satisfied  of  its  great 
value.  Before  stating  my  reasons,  let  us  first  devote  a  few 
minutes  to  the  more  important  objections  to  the  system. 
I  have  been  active  in  proclaiming  its  merits.  It  should  be 
equally  well  known  that  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
horticulturists  in  the  country  have  condemned  it.  Some 
have  considered  that  a  late  frosty  season  would  be  fatal  to 
low  cordons,  and  that  our  climate  is  too  conducive  to  the 
growth  of  gross  wood,  whereas  on  the  Continent  it  becomes 
ripe  and  stubby,  and  the  trees  may  be  preserved  within 
bounds.  If  such  were  the  fact,  this  objectionable  tendency 
should  be  more  developed  in  the  warm  parts  of  north- 
western France  near  the  sea  coast ;  but  this  is  not  the  case. 
Grafted  on  the  true  French  Paradise  stock,  the  tree  is 
always  good,  and  keeps  perfectly  within  bounds  in  parts  of 
France  and  Belgium  as  cold  as  southern  England.  In  a 
note  from  Professor  Morren,  of  Liege,  he  says :  "  The  cul- 
ture of  the  Apple  as  a  cordon  on  the  Paradise  stock  has 
been  extensively  tried  in  this  country,  and  is  rapidly  ex- 
tending, particularly  near  Liege,  Verviers,  Huy^  Namur, 
and  in  all  the  Flemish  districts.  Hedges  of  horizontal  cor- 
don Apples  and  of  Pears  are  now  formed  along  the  sides 
of  the  railway  between  Brussels  and  Louvain.  These  plan- 
tations were  made  two  years  ago,  and  have  proved  very 


THE   CORDON  SYSTEM    OP   FRUIT   6R0WIN0.        349 

successful.  The  fruits  attain  a  considerable  size^  and  the 
experiment  promises  so  well  that  preparations  are  being 
made  to  greatly  extend  iV  Is  there  magic  in  the  air,  that 
there  should  be  so  much  difference  in  the  behaviour  of  trees 
separated  by  a  few  miles  of  sea?  In  many  continental 
districts  where  frosts  are  quite  as  severe  as  here,  the 
cordons  escape  yearly  without  injury;  and  besides,  no 
form  of  tree  is  so  easily  protected  in  spring,  it  being  so 
very  low. 

One  distinguished  horticulturist  attacked  the  system  by 
declaring  that  he  had  tried  it  alongside  of  grass  walks ;  that 
the  shoots  grew  as  big  as  broom-handles,  and  the  slugs  ate 
any  fruit  that  happened  to  occur  in  such  unlikely  covert — 
one  can  hardly  call  it  fruit  wood.  But  in  this  case  the  error  is 
clear.  He  planted  a  Crab  or  a  Doucin  stock,  which  grew 
too  much,  and  which  it  is  perfect  foUy  to  plant  in  the 
hope  of  having  a  satisfactory  result  as  a  horizontal  cordon. 
The  shoots  from  trees  grafted  on  the  Paradise  stock  never 
grow  as  above  described,  and  may  be  kept  within  bounds 
with  very  ordinary  attention. 

In  addition  to  the  objections  above  stated,  some  are  good 
enough  to  observe  that  the  cordons  may,  under  certain 
circumstances,  be  desirable  for  amateurs,  but  that  prac- 
tically they  are  to  be  regarded  as  toys.  If,  as  I  believe, 
they  will  supplant  our  present  mode  of  cultivating  the 
Apple  as  a  standard,  half- standard,  pyramid  and  bush 
tree,  they  will  prove  toys  only  in  the  sense  in  which  a 
guinea  is  a  toy  compared  with  a  penny  piece.  I  have  urged 
the  advantages  of  improved  orchard  culture  so  much  that  it 
is  needless  to  renew  my  commendation  of  it  here ;  what  I  ad- 
mire in  the  horizontal  cordon  is  that  it  is  the  simplest 
mode  of  doing  away  with  the  gouty  old  Apple  trees  which 
now  in  multitudes  of  cases  shade  our  gardens  and  haunt 
them  with  ugliness.  Moreover,  as  people  rarely  let  them  have 
their  own  way  as  when  grown  in  orchards,  they  form  a  last- 
ing puzzle  to  the  pruner,  who,  in  cutting  them  in  annually, 
merely  makes  them  uglier,  more  vigorous,  and  less  useful 

As  to  my  reasons  for  being  more  than  ever  convinced 
of  the  merits    of  the    system   I    advocate,  after  hearing 


860        THB   CORDON   SYSTEM    OF   PRUIT  GROWING. 

all  arguments  against  it^  and  trayelling  many  hundreds  of 
miles  to  have  full  opportunities  of  studjdng  it^  I  would  urge  .• — 
1.  The  fruit  is  larger  and  finer  than  that  borne  on  any 
large  form  of  tree. — 2.  The  tree  comes  into  bearing  much 
earlier — in  fact,  often  bears  freely  the  second  summer  after 
being  grafted. — 3.  The  growth  is  dwarfer  and  much  more 
compact  than  that  of  the  apple  on  any  other  stock,  and  the 
tree  may,  without  root  pruning,  be  kept  in  a  more  com- 
pact and  fruitful  form  than  Apples  on  the  Crab  may  be 
with  that  troublesome  attention.— 4.  The  fruit  being  held 
at  an  average  of  one  foot  from  the  ground  it  is  in  conse- 
quence benefited  by  a  greater  degree  of  heat;  and  fit>m 
the  compactness  of  the  form  the  leaves  and  wood  enjoy 
a  greater  amount  of  sun  than  is  the  case  with  high  trees : 
it  need  not  be  said  that  these  are  great  advantages. — 5.  The 
tree  being  confined  to  a  single  stem,  and  stubby  fruit-spurs 
held  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  there  is  in  consequence 
no  injury  to  the  fruit  from  wind  or  the  swaying  about  of 
branches ;  besides,  the  fruit,  if  it  does  fall,  is  not  injured. — 

6.  The  trees  may  be  more  readily  protected  than  any  other 
form  whatever,  should  protection  be  considered  necessary. — 

7.  They  may  be  more  easily  attended  to  in  pinching,  pruning, 
and  thinning  the  fruit,  and  the  desired  shape  attained  more 
readily  than  any  other  form  of  trained  tree. — 8.  Being  little 
taller  than  a  neglected  Box  edging,  they  shade  no  garden 
crop. — 9.  They  take  up  but  little  space,  and  the  positions  best 
suited  to  them  are  those  that  hitherto  have  been  made 
little  or  no  use  of. — 10.  They  will  enable  us  entirely  to  do 
away  with  the  ugly  and  gouty  old  Apple  trees  now  so 
common  in  gardens. — 11.  The  apple  on  the  French  Paradise 
grows  to  its  highest  perfection  on  stiff  loamy  and  clayey 
and  wet  soils,  those  which  are  often  most  inimical  to  fruit 
culture  in  these  islands. — 12.  By  planting  it  against  low 
walls  we  may  grow  for  ourselves  the  fine  winter  apples  now 
supplied  to  the  capitals  of  Europe  from  northern  France 
and  from  America. 

The  reader,  knowing  my  views  on  this  system — ^knowing 
perhaps  the  contemptuous  opinions  which  many  persons  hold 
of  the  cordon  in  England,  and  understanding  that  it  is  highly 


THE   CORDON   SYSTEM    OF   PEUIT   GROWING.        351 

appreciated  by  the  best  judges  on  the  Continent^  may  like 
to  learn  how  its  merits  are  appreciated  by  one  or  two 
EngUsh  horticulturists  who  have  had  some  opportunity  of 
examining  its  worth.  The  first  opinion  quoted  is  that  of 
one  of  the  most  able  and  experienced  horticulturists  in 
England : — 

"  As  Mr.  Robinson^s  writings  indnoed  me  to  see  for  rojself  the  horizontal 
cordons  on  the  trne  Paradise  stock,  my  opinion  may  be  as  useful  on  this  question 
as  thnt  of  some  who  have  never  seen  them  at  all,  or  have  not  got  beyond  the 
erroneous  idea  that  they  are  espaliers  with  one  branch,  being  ignorant  of,  or 
ignoring  the  fact,  that  the  stock  is  entirely  different.  1  have  seen  a  good  many 
espaliers  in  my  time,  but  never  one  that  bore  a  crop  like  those  little  cordons  that 
1  saw  at  Ferribres,  Versailles,  and  amongst  the  French  fruit  growers.  The 
espalier  on  the  Crab  stock,  no  matter  how  big  and  ugly  was  the  trellis  you  pnt 
it  upon,  was  always  with  difficulty  kept  within  bounds,  always  pushing  its  vigonr 
to  tne  top  branch,  whereas  the  little  trees  I  saw  in  France  growing  on  very  stiff 
moist  loams,  were  in  the  stubbiest  and  neatest  condition  that  could  be  desired ; 
and  everywhere  I  was  UAd  that  they  were  scarcely  any  trouble,  a  little  pinchincr 
now  and  then,  and  some  attention  to  see  that  the  spurs  were  equally  distributed 
along  the  line,  being  all  that  was  required.  Why,  the  trouble  is  worth  incurring 
for  the  sake  of  having  such  a  pretty  garniture  to  our  walks  in  spring  and  autumni 
even  if  the  great  Apples  were  of  wood,  and  not  of  the  finest  flavour.  The  pincl^ 
ing  and  training  would  be  pleasant  employment  for  ladies  and  young  folKs,  in 
their  few  hours'  garden  ramoles,  affording  both  profitable  and  amusing  exercise. 
So  many  tortured  forms  of  trees  have  been  presented  to  the  public  that  I  do  not 
wonder  at  those  rejecting  them  who  cannot  see  the  undeniable  merits  which  have 
been  claimed  for  these  cordons ;  but  when  once  they  are  seen  well  done,  and  in 
working  order  (we  cannot  expect  thev  will  be  in  England  for  a  year  or  two), 
everybcniy  interested  in  a  garden  will  be  charmed  with  them,  and  the  plan  will, 
I  venture  to  say,  be  adopted  in  the  lai^est  as  well  as  the  smallest  gardens  in  the 
land.  Every  operation  connected  with  the  culture  of  these  trees  will  be  agree- 
able in  consequence  of  its  simplicity  ;  and  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  have  the  nttle 
trees  under  the  eye,  from  the  unfolding  of  the  rosy  buds  in  spring  to  the  gather- 
ing of  the  fine  fruit  in  autumn.  It  is  to  me  very  surprising  that  none  of  onr 
great  fruit  growers,  poinologists,  and  others,  who  are,  1  believe,  in  the  habit  of 
travelling  in  France  every  year,  and  some  of  them  for  the  past  thirty  years,  did 
not  spy  out  and  introduce  this  system  long  ago,  and  more  surprising  still,  that  it 
is  but  recently  that  we  have  learned  from  Mr.  Robinson  the  real  value  and  nature 
of  the  stock  (others  who  have  mentioned  it  have  always  recommended  the  Doucin 
or  English  Paradise),  and  no  doubt  but  for  his  exposition  of  the  matter,  we  might 
have  gone  on  for  many  years  without  knowing  anything  of  value  about  it,  as  we 
have  already  lived  without  such  knowledge  for  many  years,  notwithstanding  the 
proximity  of  the  fruit  gardens  of  northern  France  and  southern  England,  and  the 
abundant  intercourse   between  the  two  countries.      We  havo  brick  and  tile 


profitable,  and  useful  of  them  all  for  the  fruit  or  kitchen  garden.  Apart  from 
edgings,  the  plan  of  planting  the  conion  on  the  ends,  fronts,  and  low  walls  of 
plant-pits,  and  glass  houses,  low  walls  and  fences,  small  vacancies  or  spaces 
Detween  fruit  trees  on  walls  of  any  aspect — indeed,  on  any  kind  of  blank  space 
on  walls — is  another  distinct  improvement ;  and,  when  we  have  it  in  full  operation, 
the  specimens  of  the  finer  and  tenderer  fruits  grown  on  this  method  will  be  such 
as  we  have  not  yet  had  the  pleasure  of  producing  in  this  country." — Mr.  James 
Barnes,  of  Bicton,  in  the  Oardener's  Chronide^  February  27,  1869. 

The  next  is  that  of  one  who  has  had  excellent  oppor- 


352        THB   COEDON    SYSTEM   OF  FRUIT   GROWING. 

tunities  of  studying  fruit  culture  in  the  country  round 
Greneva. 

"  M.  Vaocher,  tbe  President  of  oar  Horticultural  Society,  began  fruit  grooving 
atChatellaine,  a  mile  from  Geneva,  three  years  a^o.  Knowing  that  he  had  made 
laree  plantations  of  the  horizontal  cordons,  I  paid  him  a  visit  early  in  July  with 
a  view  of  ascertaining  their  condition.  The  plantation  is  not  more  than  three 
years  old,  the  garden  naving  been  a  grass  field  three  years  aeo.  In  entering  the 
garden  the  first  things  that  catch  the  eye  are  the  very  neat  nnee  of  these  Tittle 
trees  running  around  the  borders,  and  at  about  one  foot  from  the  margin  of  the 
gravel  walk.  The  space  between  the  cordons  and  gravel  is  planted  with  the 
finer  kinds  of  Strawberries.  The  borders  margining  each  square  are  cut  off 
from  the  body  of  the  square  by  alleys,  and  these  are  also  edged  by  cordons  in 
the  same  way.  In  most  cases  two  lines  of  cordons  are  employed,  one  above  the 
other, — the  fruit  of  the  lower  line  sometimes  coming  within  three  and  four  inches 
of  the  ground.  The  effect  of  the  whole  is  neat,  and  such  as  would  make  a 
tasteful  gardener  use  them  for  edgings,  even  if  the  result  they  yield  be  ever  so 
problematical.    But  as  regards  the  Apple,  with  ordinary  care  there  is  nothioe 

f problematical  about  it,  for  the  most  aense  crops  alreaay  adorn  these  beautifm 
ittle  trees.  Here  are  my  notes  and  measurements  of  a  few  of  them : — Galville 
d'Hiver,  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground,  seven  feet  six  inches  long,  thirty-seven 
fine  promismg  fruit ;  the  same  kind,  seven  feet  long,  seven  inches  from  the  ground, 
twenty-four  fine  fruit ;  Pepin  d'Angleterre,  six  feet  long,  the  fruit  fifty-seven  in 
number,  hanging  at  an  average  of  fifteen  inches  from  the  ground ;  Reinette 
d^Espagne,  three  feet  six  inches  long,  twenty-four  fruit ;  the  Lady  Apple,  six 
feet  lone,  110  fruit.  These  were  some  of  the  best  examples  I  saw ;  ana  I  need 
not  remind  your  readers  that  the  fruit,  instead  of  being  too  thin,  is  much  too 
thick.  I  may  safely  say  that  if  properly  thinned  as  fine  fruit  as  ever  grew  will 
be  gathered  from  these  young  coraons — so  neat  to  look  at,  and  at  the  same  time 
such  a  luxury  and  profit.  I  particularly  observed  that  the  fruits  on  the  lower 
line  of  wire,  at  an  average  of  about  six  inches  from  the  ground,  were  quite  as 
good  and  fertile  as  those  on  the  upper  wire,  at  an  average  height  of  about 
eighteen  inches — although,  perhaps,  at  some  disadvantage  from  being  exactly 
under  the  higher  line.  To  the  above  I  may  add,  that  there  are  many  gardens 
about  Geneva  in  which  these  cordons  on  the  Paradise  are  a  perfect  success,  that 
they  give  little  trouble  to  the  gardeners,  who  are  always  fond  of  them,  be  the 
gardens  or  the  *  help  *  large  or  small." — J.  A.  Watson,  Chateau  Lammermoor, 
Geneva,  Switzerland,  in  a  letter  to  the  Gardener'a  Chronicle. 

It  is  not  merely  in  the  way  it  is  at  present  practised  in 
France  or  elsewhere  that  the  cordon  system  is  interesting  and 
instructive  to  all  taking  an  interest  in  the  culture  of  hardy 
firuits.  To  me  it  seems  to  offer  a  means  of  training  trees  so 
that  we  may  readily  give  them  that  protection  in  spring, 
the  want  of  which  is  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  cause  of 
all  our  failures  in  fruit  crops.  Hitherto  the  best  course  to 
pursue  with  the  borders  along  our  fruit  waUs  has  always 
been  a  disputed  point :  some  contending  that  they  ought 
not  to  be  cropped  at  all;  others  that  salads  and  small 
vegetables  might  be  grown  upon  them. 

Let  us  crop  the  borders  with  trees  trained  on  the  hori- 
zontal cordon  principle  as  suggested  in  the  accompanying 


THE   CORDON   SYSTEM   Of   PEUIT   GROWING.        353 


in  front  of  fruit 
wall,  with  two 
lines  of  hori- 
zontal cordons,  ^^i^i^ 

protected      in 
spring  by  wide 
temporary  CO 
ing  and  roug 
canvas. 


figures,  and  in  this  way  dispose  of  the  much  debated 
question  as  to  what  is  best  to  do  with  the  fruit  borders.  B7 
so  doing  we  should  collect  such  a  valuable  lot  of  fruit  trees 
immediately  in  front  of  each  wall  as  would  render  it  con- 
venient and  highly  desirable  to  protect  efficiently  both  walls 
and  borders,  and  by  the  same  means.  The  low  cordons  will 
no  more  shade  the 

wall  than  a  crop      Fio.  151.  Fio.  152. 

of  small  salading, 
will  prevent  dl 
necessity  for  dis- 
turbing the  border, 
and     will    utilize 

every  inch  of  its  N;;;;;;7wder 

space.     Indeed,  I 
can  conceive  of  no 
greater    improve- 
ment in  our  fruit 
culture   than    de- 
voting    to     finit 
trees  those  excel- 
lent   sunny   borders    that    usually    lie 
at   the   foot   of   our    finit    walls.     By 
this  plan  we  should,  it  is  true,  sacri6ce 
some    of  the   more   suitable  spots   for 
our  early  vegetables  and  salads,  but  we 
should  gain  very  much  more,  and  the 
change  would  be  in  every  way  conducive 
to  the  beauty  and  utility  of  our  gardens.  I^ouble  espalier  of  pears, 

_„_  -         "^  -,  •'  ,    .         °         -    ,       with  three  hnes  of  cor- 

vVhen  the  wall  trees  are  being  attended      don  apples  on  each 
to  the  cordons  cannot  be  forgotten,  and      "*^t'  I  5  ^^''^®-  ^  ^ 

°  '  protected  in  spnng  as 

the  whole  will   be  under  the  eye  at  a      suggested  in  the  iUus- 
glance.  *^^'^^°- 

The  Pear  may  be  grown  thus,  and  the  Apple  to  the  highest 
degree  of  perfection ;  so  much  so  that  I  have  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  the  splendid  Apples  which  may  be  grown  in  this 
way  would,  if  put  to  the  market  test,  more  than  pay  for 
the  expense  of  protecting  cordons  and  wall  trees  at  the 
same  time,  by  means  of  the  plan  shown  above.     Other 

A  A 


Peach  wall  and  border,  with  five 
lines  of  cordons,  the  whole  pro- 
tected in  spring. 


Fig.  153. 


354        THE   CORDON   SYSTEM   OF   FRUIT   GROWING. 

fruits  will  probably  be  found  to  submit  to  this  mode  of 
culture  as  well  as  these^  and  all  sorts  should  be  tried  by 
those  with  opportunities  for  making  experiments  in  fruit  cul- 
ture^  kinds  of  a  fertile  and  compact  habit  being  selected 
for  trial.  Should  we  in  time  find  varieties  of  our  other  hardy 
fruits  conform  as  readily  to  the  cordon  system  as  the  Apple 
on  the  Paradise,  this  way  of  covering  borders  as  well  as  walls 
with  fruit  trees  will  prove  a  gain  in  the  culture  of  our 
choice  hardy  fruits,  the  importance  of  which  it  would  be 
difficult  to  over-estimate. 

Efficiently  protect  borders  and  walls  from  the  time  of  flower- 


Fio.  164. 


Fio.  166. 


^^fKttf  tMif' 


v/y//' 


■  t  ^-  ^  ^. 


Simple  wooden  sapport  for  Cordon, 
the  Wire  attached  to  a  stone  in 
the  ground. 

Fig.  166. 


^Pf^W'^^^C^ 


Iron  support,  with  ratchet  wheel 
at  the  top. 


Iron  support  let  into  stone. 


ing  till  the  fruit  is  beyond  all  danger,  afterwards  expose  all  to 
the  refreshing  summer  rains,  and  then  there  wiU  be  an 
end  to  all  but  mere  routine  work  tiU  the  protecting  season 
comes  again.  Every  hundred  feet  in  length  of  such  well  pro- 
tected wall  and  border  would  be  equivalent  to  a  well-ma- 
naged orchard  house ;  and  how  attractive  the  borders  would  be 
considered  from  an  ornamental  point  of  view  !  The  fact  of 
the  borders  being  thus  covered  with  fruit  trees  will  make  it 
almost  imperative  to  protect  the  wall  and  border  at  the  same 
time;  and  without  efficient  protection  at  flowering  time,  we  can 


THE   PARADISE,   DOUCIN,    AND    CRAB   STOCKS.       855 

bope  for  but  very  little  success  with  the  finer  hardy  fruits  in 
this  country. 

Although  the  cordon  is  so  simply  supported,  it  is  desirable 
to  know  the  best  means  of  doing  so  in  a  permanent  and 
ready  way.  The  simplest  way  of  all  is  to  drive  a  tough 
post  in  the  ground  to  the  required  height,  and  attach  the 
wire  to  it.  The  post  may  be  driven  in  obliquely,  as  in 
fig.  154,  or  erect,  as  is  the  custom.  An  iron  support  with 
a  stay  let  into  a  block  of  rough  stone,  as  suggested  in 
fig.  156,  would  be  as  satisfactory  as  any  other,  because  so 
permanent.  The  strongest,  best,  and  dearest  kind  I  have 
ever  seen  was  in  M.  P.  Jamin's  garden  at  6ourg-la-Beine ; 
fig.  155  is  a  representation  of  it.  The  stay  is  bolted  between 
two  vertical  irons,  and  the  galvanized  wire  strained  be- 
tween them  at  the  top. 

The  Paradise,  Doucin,  and  Crab  Stocks. — ^The  stock  is 
to  the  cultivated  fruit  tree  as  important  as  the  foundation  is 
to  the  bridge ;  if  we  have  not  the  right  stock,  all  is  wrong. 
The  Paradise  stock  (the  French  Paradise  stock,  it  must  be  re- 
membered— ^for  the  term  "  English  Paradise"  is  a  misnomer) 
is  the  only  one  that  should  be  used  to  form  the  cordon,  ex- 
cept on  the  very  poorest  and  driest  of  soils.  Of  quite 
an  opposite  opinion,  Mr.  Thomas  Rivers,  our  great  au- 
thority on  fruit  growing,  says  : — "  It  is  exceedingly  dwarf 
in  its  habit,  and  too  tender  for  this  climate,  unless  in  very 
warm  aud  dry  soils  l''  But  in  fact  it  is  as  hardy  as  the 
hardiest  tree  of  the  forest,  not  perishing  even  if  thrown  with 
its  roots  exposed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  allowed 
to  remain  there  through  a  rigorous  winter ;  and  the  soils 
above  all  for  which  it  is  peculiarly  unfitted  are  those  that 
are  hot  and  very  dry,  while  it  flourishes  with  the  most  satis- 
factory vigour,  fertility,  and  health  on  rich,  moist  loams,  and 
even  bad  clays — the  very  soils  which  often  present  the 
greatest  amount  of  difficulty  to  the  British  fruit  grower. 
As  will  be  readily  seen,  this  is  simply  a  matter  for  experi- 
ment, and  I  appeal  to  the  horticulturists  of  Britain  to  settle 
the  question  by  direct  trial,  a  thing  they  can  so  readily  do. 
The  "  English  Paradise  "  recommended  by  Mr.  Rivers  for 
this  purpose  is,  according  to  his  own  statement,  the  Doucin 

A  A  2 


856       THE   PARADISE^   DOUCIN^   AND   CBAB   STOCKS. 

— one  that  as  regards  yigour  is  intermediate  between  the 
Crab  and  the  Paradise^  well  fitted  for  neat  standards^ 
pyramids^  and  large  boshes^  but  growing  too  vigorously  to 
furnish  anything  but  disappointment  if  planted  as  a  low 
cordon^  except  on  very  light  calcareous  or  ^'  burning  ^'  soils. 
To  plant  the  Apple  on  the  common  or  Crab  stocky  and 
expect  to  form  a  dwarf  fertile  tree,  is  simply  folly.  By 
mutilation  and  removals  you  may  secure  a  crop,  and  keep 
the  Doucin  or  "  English  Paradise''  within  bounds ;  but  what 
we  want  is  a  stock  that  will  furnish  a  dwarf  and  fertile 
growth,  without  any  root-pruning  or  attention  whatever, 
beyond  that  of  pinching  in  the  shoots  two  or  three  times  in 
summer,  according  to  their  luxuriance.  This  we  have  exactly 
in  the  Paradise  stock,  grown  by  millions  in  the  nurseries 
aroimd  Paris,  and  in  many  other  parts  of  France. 

We  have  next  to  determine  what  is  this  Paradise  stock. 
It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  a  plant  like  this,  which  exerts 
so  marked  an  influence  on  the  trees  grafted  on  it,  and  is  so 
truly  valuable  for  our  wardens,  deserves  to  be  at  least  as 
well  known  as  any  one  kind  of  fruit,  however  good.  Yet 
this  is  so  far  from  being  the  case  that  but  very  little  is 
known  about  it.  To  most  of  the  French  botanists  its  origin 
is  involved  in  obscurity.  I  failed  to  find  perfect  fruit  or 
flowers  in  any  garden  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris  or 
London,  but  have  had  some  young  trees  of  the  Paradise 
and  Doucin  planted  with  a  view  of  aUowing  them  to  fruit. 

As  regards  the  origin  of  the  trees,  apparently  the  clearest 
account  is  that  of  Professor  Koch  of  Berlin,  who  has  paid 
a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the  origin  of  all  our  fruit  trees. 
He  says : — ^^  The  name  Mains  paradisiaca  appears  to  have 
been  first  used  by  Ruellius  in  the  year  1537.  It  is  a  native 
of  South-Eastem  Russia,  Caucasus,  Tartary,  and  the  Altai 
Mountains.  I  have  often  seen  this  shrub  in  the  Caucasus, 
and  near  the  Don  and  the  Volga,  where  it  forms  shrubs  and 
dwarf  trees,  frequently  accompanied  with  suckers.^^ 

Without  attempting  to  throw  any  light  on  the  origin  of  the 
Paradise,  M.  Carriere  of  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  has  studied 
its  characteristics,  compared  them  with  those  of  the  Doucin, 
and  described  both  in  the  Flore  des  Serres : — 


THE   PARADISE^   DOUCIN^   AND    CRAB   STOCKS.        357 


Paradibb. 

"  Roots  much  ramified  and  tidy,  short, 
remaining  near  the  surface,  and  never 
tap-rooted.  Shrab,  bush-like,  much 
branched,  the  branchlets  rather  long, 
and  with  a  lateral  tendency,  the  adults 
covered  with  a  smooth  bark  of  a  reddish 
colour ;  lightly  pubescent  in  the  case 
of  the  young  snoots.  Leaves  lanceolate, 
elliptical,  of  a  light  green  above  and 
velvety  beneath,  finely  denticulated, 
acuminate  at  the  ends,  but  principally 
at  the  base.  Petiole  broadish  and 
channelled.  Calyx,  with  divisions 
acuminated  and  recurved,  often  con- 
torted, as  long  as  the  peduncle.  Petals 
straightly  elongated  at  the  base,  faintly 
keeled,  borne  on  a  thin  base,  prolonged 
into  a  sort  of  keeL  Ovary  on  a  slender 
base,  pubescent.  Fruit  higher  than 
broad,  lightly  ribbed,  skin  white,  flesh 
sweetish,  almost  insipid;  ripening  in 
July.'*  It  flowers  more  abundantly, 
and  eight  days  earlier,  than  the  Doucin. 


1 


Doucin, 

"  Roots  rather  long  and  strong,  tap- 
rooted.  Tree  not  much  ramified, 
straight  in  its  growth,  with  branch- 
lets  short,  large,  in  adult  specimens 
covered  with  a  deep  dull  brown  bark ; 
very  tomentose,  and  whitened  in  the 
case  of  the  young  shoots.  Leaves 
broadly  oval  or  nearly  oboval,  lightly 
blistered,  shining  on  the  upper  and 
pubescent  on  the  lower  surface,  rather 
oroadly  denticulated,  scarcely  acumi- 
nate at  the  apex,  abruptly  contracted 
and  round  at  the  base.  Petiole  broa4» 
scarcely  channelled.  Calyx  with  divi- 
sions usually  horizontal,  occasionally 
recurved,  rather  large.  Petals  gub- 
oval,  nearly  blistered,  keeled,  borne  on 
a  base  short  and  raiher  broad.  Ovary 
on  a  stout  support,  covered  with  a  to- 
mentose down,  white  and  thick.  Fmit 
depressed,  broader  than  high,  not 
ribbed,  the  skin  of  an  intense  green, 
marked  here  and  there  with  brownish 
Bjpots :  flesh  of  a  high  and  agreeable 
navour ;  ripening  in  August.'" 


The  Paradise  stock  has  been  known  in  France  for  between 
200  and  300  years.  The  Doucin  would  appear  to  be  not 
quite  so  ancient^  but  has  been  known  for  at  least  160  years. 
It  is  used  to  form  neat  low  trees,  pyramids,  wall,  espalier^ 
and  even  standard  trees  less  vigorous  and  more  suitable  for 
gardens  than  those  grafted  on  the  Crab,  or  commonest 
stock,  and  occasionally  for  cordons  on  bad  and  very 
poor  and  dry  soils.  It  is  most  probably  a  vigorous  and 
deep-rooting  variety  of  the  same  species  as  the  Paradise, 
healthy  everywhere,  and  succeeding  well  on  some  very  dry 
and  poor  soils,  where  in  consequence  of  its  habit  of  surface 
rooting  the  Paradise  would  suffer  and  prove  useless.  Apples 
grafted  upon  it  come  into  bearing  earlier  than  upon  the 
Crab,  and  it  is  admirable  for  all  forms  of  garden  trees 
in  size  intermediate  between  the  very  dwarf  cordons  and 
bushes,  and  the  tall  and  vigorous  orchard  trees. 

The  Crab  stock  it  is  needless  to  describe.  It  is  the 
stock  on  which  our  Apples  have  been  grafted  for  ages,  and 
which  is  the  only  one  employed  in  the  majority  of  British 
gardens.  It  is  the  natural  stock  for  the  Apple,  and  that 
on  which  it  grows   with  greatest  vigour;  but  it  takes  a 


358        THE   PARADISE,   DOUCIN,   AND   CRAB    STOCKS. 

much  longer  time  to  come  into  bearing,  and  the  attempts  to 
keep  it  of  a  size  suited  to  gardens  by  pruning,  pinching, 
and  root-pruning  which  may  be  seen  everywhere,  are  all 
efforts  thrown  away. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  there  are  three  distinct  stocks,  each 
suiting  distinct  purposes,  and  that  those  who  experiment 
upon  or  criticise  the  cordon  system  of  Apple  growing  with- 
out acting  upon  or  bearing  these  facts  in  mind  as  the 
greatest  and  most  important  of  all  in  connexion  with  the 
subject,  may  be  likened  to  an  individual  attempting  to  study 
the  moon  by  gazing  through  the  wrong  end  of  his  telescope. 

Of  these  three  stocks,  the  one  which  has  been  most 
abused  and  least  known,  but  which  will  yet  prove  the  most 
valuable  of  all  as  a  garden  stock  for  the  Apple,  is  the  true 
French  Paradise.  When  it  is  fairly  tried  it  will  prove  to 
be  of  all  stocks  yet  known  the  hardiest,  most  dwarfing 
in  its  effects,  and  most  powerful  in  inducing  early  fertility. 
This  stock,  which  has  hitherto  been  characterized  in  Eng- 
land as  a  thing  quite  worthless  and  contemptible — only  fit 
for  growing  in  pots,  and  such  toy  gardening — will,  if  planted 
in  the  coldest  and  wettest  of  soils,  instead  of  sending  long 
and  hungry  roots  down  into  the  sour  bowels  of  the  cold 
clayey  earth,  like  the  Crab,  and  in  a  lesser  degree  the  Doucin, 
keep  its  wig-like  mass  of  small  roots  near  the  surface,  and 
without  root-pruning  bear  fruit  long  before  the  others,  even 
if  they  receive  every  attention.  The  above  is  the  way  to 
best  test  its  powers  of  withstanding  cold,  and  the  other 
merits  I  claim  for  it :  on  all  ordinarily  rich  and  cool  soils  it 
will  be  found  to  succeed  perfectly  without  root-pruning  of 
any  kind.  Amateurs  and  gardeners  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  these  islands  have  only  to  try  it  to  prove 
that  instead  of  sickening  and  dying  in  our  cool  climate,  and 
on  our  moist  soils,  its  general  adoption  will  lead  to  one  of 
the  greatest  improvements  our  garden  fruit  culture  has  ever 
undergone.  It  is  necessary  to  observe  that  in  trying  this  stock 
healthy  plants  should  be  secured  to  begin  with.  It  has  been 
ascertained  that  some  of  our  nurserymen  who  have  tried  this 
stock  import  the  Paradise  from  France  in  a  very  small  state^ 
and  then  graft  it  soon  after  it  arrives.     The  consequence  is 


THE   PEAR   AS   A   CORDON. 


359 


Fio.  157. 


1 


that  the  little  trees  have  no  power  to  push  forth  a  healthy 
graft.  If  imported  in  this  way  they  should  be  allowed  one 
year's  growth  before  being  grafted. 

The  Peab  as  a  Cordon. — Having  said  so  much  about 
the  Apple  as  a  cordon^  we  will  next  turn  to  the  Pear  trained 
as  an  oblique  cordon  on  walls.  It  does  not^ 
as  applied  to  this  fruity  offer  a  distinct  and 
economical  way  of  producing  a  better  class  of 
&mt^  as  in  the  case  of  the  Apple.  Its  ad- 
vantages are  simply  quick  growth,  early  fer- 
tility, and  a  considerable  number  of  varieties 
from  a  limited  space.  Figure  162  will  fully 
show  the  appearance  of  a  wall  covered  with 
Pears  on  the  cordon  system.  The  plants  at 
each  end,  which  display  a  fuller  develop- 
ment, show  the  means  by  which  the  ends  of 
the  wall  are  covered.  As  will  be  seen,  the 
trees  are  placed  very  close  together,  which 
makes  the  plantation  costly.  They,  however, 
soon  run  up  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  yield 
a  quicker  return  than  the  larger  forms. 
Then  if  one  fails  it  is  easily  replaced.  But 
are  these  advantages  sufficient  to  justify  us 
in  adopting  this  system  to  any  extent  for 
our  wall  Pears  ? 

We  may  secure  handsomer  trees,  less  dis- 
tortion, longer  life,  and  more  fruit,  by  adopt- 
ing such  simple  and  easily  conducted  forms 
as  those  figured  in  the  account  of  the  Im- 
perial garden  at  Versailles,  and  other  Pear  Tree  trained 
medium-sized  and  simple  forms.  Those  ^on.  l^ls*  form 
forms  are  handsomer  than  the  wall  or  espa-  Js  best  suited  for 
lier  cordon  for  the  Pear,  yield  a  great  number  &c7  ^^  ^*  *' 
of  kinds  from  a  comparatively  small  space, 
and  moreover,  allow  of  a  somewhat  free  and  natural  develop- 
ment. We  all  know  how  comparatively  few  are  the  varieties 
of  first-class  Pears  which  succeed  to  perfection  in  any  one 
place,  and  that  the  necessity  of  planting  a  new  kind  at  every 
eighteen  inches  along  the  wall  does  not  exist.     For  the 


860 


THB  PBA&  A8   A  COEDOX. 


firoiting  of  seedlings  and  testing  of  new  kinds^  it  is  however 
a  good  plan^  and  if  the  object  be  to  cover  a  wall  in  a  short 
time  and  get  a  quick  retnm,  it  is  certainly  the  best  way. 
In  this  case  it  enables  ns  to  attain  our  ends  in  the  shortest 
space  of  time^  and  with  the  least  possible  waste  of  space. 

Some  of  the  leading  teachers  of  firuit  culture  in  France 
adopt  the  oblique  cordon  as  the  surest  way  of  getting  a 
quick  return^  and  plant  extensively  the  finest  varieties  trained 


Fio.  158. 


Fio.  159. 


The  Pear  as  a  Simple  Oblique  Cordon.  Oblique  Cordon  Pear.   2nd  year, 

let  jear.    Showing  the  first  pruning 
after  planting. 

in  this  way;  but  others  ridicule  the  planting  of  trees  as  closely 
as  one  would  coleworts,  and  laugh  at  the  system  as  only 
profitable  for  the  nurseryman.  My  opinion  is  that  for  the 
finest  kinds  of  winter  pears  and  high  walls  it  is  well  worth 
adopting;  provided  the  trees  can  be  got  at  a  low  price.  To 
plant  high  priced  trees  so  thickly  would  be  ruinous.  It 
would  be  better  to  wait  for  years  and  allow  the  larger  forms 
to  cover  the  walls  in  their  old-fashioned  way.  But  where 
the  cultivator  can  graft  and  raise  his  own  trees,  or  procure 


THE   PEAR  AS  A   COBDON. 


361 


first-rate  kinds  cheaply  as  ^'  maiden/^  or  very  young  plants, 
then  he  will  probably  find  the  system  an  improvement. 
None  but  the  very  best  kinds  should  be  planted^  and  to 
begin  with^  it  would  be  desirable  to  plant  a  goodly  number 
of  one  kind  known  to  succeed  well  in  the  neighbourhood 


Fig.  160. 


Oblique  Cordon  Pear.    3rd  year.     B  is  the  position  which  the  tree  will 

eventually  occupy. 

rather  than  a  variety  of  sorts.  The  kinds  known  to  do  best 
in  this  contracted  form  are  "^Beurr^  Superfin^  Flemish 
Beauty,  Beurre  Giffard,  *Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey,  *Maric 
Louise,  Beurre  Clairgeau,  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  "^Easter 
Beurr^,  and  Beurr^  d'Anjou.  Of  these  a  beginner  would  do 
well  to  take  those  marked  with  an  asterisk.     As  regards  the 


362 


THE   PEAR   AS  A   CORDON. 


training  of  the  Fear  in  this  way,  it  is  too  simple  to  require 
description  here.  The  tree  is  simply  treated  as  we  treat  a 
single  branch  of  a  fSsm-shaped  tree,  and  requires  none  of 
the  careful  pruning  necessary  to  form  the  more  elaborate 
shapes.  Healthy  young  plants,  a  year  from  the  graft,  are 
chosen,  planted  at  from  16  to  18  inches  apart,  and 
pruned  as  explained  in  the  accompanying  figures. 

Fio.  161. 


Oblique  Cordon  Pear.    4th  jear. 

Sometimes  the  Pear  is  trained  as  a  vertical  single  or  double 
cordon.  Of  the  two  forms  the  single  is  preferable,  and  it  is 
chiefly  suited  for  very  high  walls,  the  gable  ends  of  out- 
houses, and  the  like.  It  need  scarcely  be  added  that  the 
trees  should  be  on  the  Quince  stock. 

The  Pear  may  also  be  trained  as  a  horizontal  cordon  on 
low  walls,  the  fronts  of  glass  houses,  and  as  an  edging  like 
the  Apple.     But  generally  the  Pear  pushes  too  vigorously 


THE  PEAE   AS  A  CO&DOK. 


363 


to  be  trained  in  this  way,  while  the  peDdnlom  hahit  of  the 
fruit  renders  it  more  liable  to  be  soiled.    I  once  saw  Uvedale's 


St.  Germain  grown  in  this  way,  the  great  fruit  sitting  on 
the  ground,  and  quite  encrusted  with  earthy  splashings. 
I  have  frequently  seen  plantations  of  the  Pear  as  a  hori- 


THE  PB4R  A8   k  OOBDON. 


BOntal  cordon,  bat  never  one  that  I  could  call  thorongfily 
wtiB&ctray.  The  disposition  to  form  a  neat  compact  line 
of  spiirs  so  abundantly  manifested  by  the  Apple  when  well 


and  h  oolj  OMrd 


trtdned  on  the  Paradise  is  very  rarely  shown  by  the  Pear. 
Nevertheless  a  few  varieties,  such  as  Louise  Bonne  and 
Beurr^  Oifiard,  might  be  tried;  allowing  them  to  attain 
a  greater  length  of  stem  than  the  cordon  Apples,  and  placing 


THE   PEAR  A8  A  CORDON. 


865 


them  a  little  higher  from  the  ground.  As  regards  the  Pear 
as  a  horizontal  cordon,  Mr.  Watson  of  Geneva  wrote  as 
follows  to  the  Gardener's  Chronicle  : — "  I  question  if  there 
exists  elsewhere  a  more  extensive  collection  of  Pears  trained 
on  the  horizontal  cordon  system  than  may  now  be  seen  in  M. 
Vaucher's  garden  near  Geneva.  There  are  hundreds  of  them, 
consisting  of  every  good  sort  that  M.  Vaucher   could  buy. 

Fio.  164. 


The  Spiral  Cordon  against  walls.    This  form  is  not  to  be  recommended. 

After  carefully  examining  them,  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  Mr.  Robinson's  conclusions  are  right — ^namely,  that  the 
Pear  as  a  rule  does  not  conform  to  this  mode  of  culture  like 
the  Apple,  and  can  report  no  such  success.  Still  some  sorts 
are  all  that  could  be  desired.  Beurr^  Noirchain,  four 
feet  six  inches  long,  had  twenty-three  fruit ;  Beurre  Giffard, 
six  feet  six  inches  long,  twenty-two  fruit.  The  fruit  of  the  last- 
named  kind  are  hanging  about  four  inches  from  the  groimd.'* 


866 


THB   PEACH    AS   A   CORDON. 


Fio.  165. 


Of  the  yaiious  modifications  of  the  cordon  system  the 

spiral  cordon  deserves  note.  The  merit 
claimed  for  it  is  that  a  greater  length  of 
stem  is  secured^  and  consequently  that  the 
tree  is  not  so  likely  to  suffer  fix)m  being 
confined  to  a  single  stem.  Trained  as 
shown  by  Fig.  165,  it  is  pretty,  but  against 
walls  it  has  not  even  that  merit.  The 
isolated  spiral  cordon  may  be  trained  on  a 
galvanised  iron  support  like  that  shown  in 
the  illustration,  or  round  a  circle  of  stakes 
inserted  in  the  ground.  The  first  way  is 
certainly  the  neatest  and  the  best.  It  is 
quite  easy  to  train  trees  round  this  spiral 
support,  which  seems  best  fitted  for  adop- 
tion where  a  thorough  system  of  protec- 
tion is  carried  out,  in  consequence  of  the 
number  of  trees  that  may  be  packed  into 
a  small  space.  It  also  seems  worthy  of 
attention  for  orchard  house  and  pot  culture. 
The  Peach  as  a  Cordon. — ^With  the 
Peach  as  an  oblique  cordon,  a  good  result 
is  attained,  the  wall  being  covered  very 
rapidly ;  and  the  neat  laying  in  of  a  great  number  of  shoots 
on  each  side  of  the  simple  stem  does  away  with  the 
crowded  and  unnatural  appearance  which  a  plantation  of 
cordon  pears  assumes  when  old  and  the  stems  are  thickened. 
But  instead  of  the  wood  being  closely  pinched  in,  as  people 
might  suppose  in  England  from  reading  of  the  method  of  one 
M.  Grin,  it  is  nailed  in  at  each  side  of  the  branch,  ay, 
more  so  than  if  that  branch  were  part  and  parcel  of  one  of 
the  older  and  larger  forms  of  tree.  I  once  saw  an  excellent 
result  afforded  by  this  system  against  the  high  back  wall  of 
a  vinery  in  the  establishment  of  M.  Rose-Charmeux,  at 
Thomery.  By  its  means  he  perfectly  covered  his  wall  in  a 
short  time,  and  gathered  a  great  variety  of  fruit  from  a 
small  space.  Out  of  doors  I  have  seen  it  afford  beautifril 
results,  and  that  not  unfrequently.  It  is  well  calculated  for 
high  walls,  and  it  may  be  adopted  for  low  ones  by  training 
the  trees  at  a  more  acute  angle  with  the  earth. 


The  Spiral  Cordon. 


THE   PEACH    AS   A   CORDON. 


367 


Considering  the  time  usually  required  to  furnish  walls  in 
the  ordinary  way^  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  mode 
of  training  the  Peach  is  a  real  improvement,  where  a  con- 
siderable number  of  varieties  are  required  from  a  small 
space.  Apart  from  that,  however,  the  facility  and  simplicity 
with  which  walls  may  be  covered  by  this  method,  and  the 
readiness  with  which  a  diseased  or  otherwise  objectionable 
tree  may  be  replaced,  will  doubtless  prove  a  sufficient  recom- 
mendation for  cultivators  who  are  not  restricted  as  to  space. 


Fio.  166. 


Fio.  167. 


Young  Peach  Tree  trained  as  an  Ob- 
lique Cordon,  let  year.  A  shows 
the  first  pruning. 


Peach  Tree  trained  as  an  Oblique 
Cordon.  2nd  year's  pruning.  Tha 
leading  shoot  is  cut  at  A,  and  the 
side  shoots  at  the  cross-marks. 


It  should,  however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  on  very  good 
soils  where  the  Peach  grows  very  vigorously,  it  will  not 
suit  so  well  as  on  poor  ones  where  it  grows  slowly,  and  that 
medium-sized  forms  may  be  adopted  for  the  Peach  as  well 
as  for  the  Pear.  The  following  is  a  description  of  the  mode 
of  forming  it  after  M.  Lep^re : — 


868  THE   PEACH   AS   A  CORDON. 

^  There  are  two  modes  of  growing  this  form.    One^  which 
was   recommended   by  a   professor   of  arboriculture,  and 
frequently  put  in  practice  by  many  amateurs,  but  which 
I  consider  faulty,  consists  in  planting  the  trees  just  as  they 
come  from  the  nursery,  and  training  them  at  once  in  the 
obUque  form.     The  inconvenience  arising  from  this  method 
consists  in  being  obliged  to  place  the  tree  close  to  the  wall^ 
which  crowds  the  roots  too  much,  preventing  them  from 
affording  sufficient  nourishment  to  the  tree.     Besides  this,, 
on  account  of  the  inclination  of  the  tree,  part  of  the  roots 
are  directed  towards  the  surface  of  the  earth  or  placed  in 
an  unnatural  position,  thereby  preventing  their  full  develop- 
ment.    By-and-by,  the  trees  that  have  been  planted  thus 
are  cut  to  half  the  length  that  ttey  were  when  they  came 
from  the  nursery,  having  a  number  of  weak,  useless  branches 
on  the  lower  part,  a  condition  which,  as  every  one  knows, 
is  always  unfavourable.    The  second  method  differs  from  the 
first,  inasmuch  as  the  plant  from  the  nursery  is  cut  down 
instead  of  being  planted  in  an  oblique  direction.    To  obtain 
the   oblique  form  without  planting  the  tree  in  a  crooked 
position,  the  stem  is  cut  at  eight  inches  from  the  graft,  and 
placed  in  the  hole  in  such  a  position  that  the  base  of  the  stem 
is  four  inches  from  the  wall,  with  its  extremity  just  touching 
it.     The  roots  are  well  spread  over  the  hole  and  drawn  as 
much  as  possible  towards  the  border  in  which  the  tree  is 
planted.     Care  is  taken  to  leave  a  well-placed  bud  on  the 
side  where  the  oblique  branch  is  to  be  formed,  and  its  de- 
velopment must  be  encouraged  by  ruthlessly  pinching  off 
all  useless  shoots.     Under  these  conditions,  the  tree  grows 
as  long  during  the  first  year  as  the  one  planted  obliquely 
and  allowed  to  be  of  its  full  length  from  the  first.     This 
method  is  also  to  be  preferred,  because  the  shoot  thus  ob- 
tained the  first  year  can  be  left  intact  and  allowed  to  attain 
a  development  equal  to  that  of  the  tree  planted  according 
to  the  first  method.     Besides  this,  the  shoot  is  calculated 
to  grow  faster  in  consequence  of  its  bark  being  less  har- 
dened, and  each   year  the  terminal  point  may  be  allowed 
to  grow  without  cutting  back.    Sometimes  the  terminal  bud 
does  not  develope  owing  to  its  having  been  killed  with  the 


I 


Fio.  168. 


SHORT  PINCHING  SYSTEM  APPLIED  TO  THE  PEACH.      369 

cold.  In  such  a  case  a  stronger  eye  is  chosen  lower  down 
to  make  the  desired  prolongation. 

"  As  in  the  case  of  other  forms  of  training,  the  branches 
of  the  Peach  cordons  are  allowed  to  grow  in  a  more  erect 
position  at  first  than  they  are  finally  intended  to  occupy. 
I  should  advise  this  cordon  form  to  be  adopted  in  the  case 
of  gardens  whose  walls  are  on  the  incline,  as  often  occurs 
in  certain  localities,  and  for  soil  of  inferior  quality  where 
the  Peach  tree  grows  slowly,  because  under  such  circum- 
stances it  never  attains  its  full  development.  The  plan 
does  not  answer  where  the  ground  is  flat  and  the  conditions 
are  such  as  favour  the  rapid  growth  of  the  tree.^ 

Some  fruit  growers  think  that  there  is  no 
occasion  for  resorting  to  this  simple  cordon  in 
the  case  of  the  Peach,  any  more  than  in  the  case 
of  the  Pear.  My  friend  M.  F.  Jamin,  of  Bourg- 
la-Reine,  plants  in  his  fruit  garden  a  form  of 
tree  with  three  vertical  branches,  and  if  he  wants 
a  great  variety  of  fruit  from  a  small  space,  works 
a  different  variety  on  each  branch.  This  figure 
shows,  on  a  small  scale,  the  appearance  of  one  cf  _  , 
his  young  specimens,  trained  on  this  principle,  with  three 
The  U  and  double  U  forms,  described  in  the  Chap-    stems  a  dif- 

f        lerent     va- 

ter  on  Montreuil,  are  also  extensively  adopted  in  riety  being 
preference  to  the  oblique  cordon  by  many  ^^^?^  ^^ 
growers. 

The  short  pinching  System  applied  to  the  Peach. — 
The  system  generally  known  among  us  as  that  of  M.  Grin  is 
confounded  by  some  writers  with  the  cordon  system,  from 
which  it  is  entirely  distinct.  It  has  not  in  the  least  in- 
fluenced the  old  way  of  growing  the  Peach  in  France,  and 
a  commission  of  first-rate  fruit  growers  sent  to  examine  it, 
reported  that  the  system  pursued  at  Montreuil  is  still  much 
the  best.  It  may  be  shortly  described  as  an  attempt  to  do 
away  with  nailing  by  a  system  of  close  pinchiog,  and  that 
alone  is  sufficient  to  condemn  it  for  our  gardens,  and  also 
for  those  of  the  French,  for  the  wood  to  be  well  ripened 
must  be  nailed  in,  and  the  pinching  required  to  keep  the 
shoots  from  running  away  from  the  wall  is  something  pro- 

B  B 


370      SHORT  PINCHING  SYSTEM  APPLIED  TO  THE  PEACH. 


Fig.  169. 


digious.  As  the  French  fruit  growers  say — ^the  cidtiyator 
who  pursues  this  method  had  better  provide  himself  with 
chairs^  and  place  one  before  each  tree  to  accommodate  the 
person  who  has  to  see  that  the  pinching  is  done  at  the 
proper  time  !  The  report  of  the  commission  sent  to  examine 
this  method  is  as  unfavourable  to  it  as  anything  can  be.  I 
translated  it  with  a  view  of  giving  it  here,  but  space  pre- 
vents my  doing  so,  and  therefore  I  sum  up  its  statements 
in  a  few  words.  '^  This  system,  which  is  an  attempt  to  do 
away  with  nailing  in  of  the  shoots,  presents  on  the  whole 
no  advantages  over  the  one  in  common  use,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  certain  drawbacks.^'     Having  read  so  much  about 

the  doings  of  M.  Grin,  I  was  asto- 
nished at  the  very  ordinary  aspect 
of  his  trees,  and  the  by  no  means 
remarkable  result  attained.  The 
individual  who  pays  his  penny  to 
see  the  *^blue  horse  captured  in 
the  Black  Sea  by  Captain  Jones  of 
the  ship  Adventurer — the  most  ex- 
traordinary monster  ever  seen," 
&c.,  in  the  New  Cut,  and  finds  the 
blue  horse  to  be  a  puny  young 
seal,  could  not  have  been  more 
disappointed  than  was  I  at  the  as- 
pect of  the  trees  in  this  garden. 
For  when  one  reads  of  a  method  as 
being  about  to  supplant  everything 
else,  it  is  quite  natural  to  expect 
that  it  must  at  all  events  possess 
some  merits  over  the  older  one ; 
but  in  this  instance  such  is  not  the 
case.  Of  course  I  speak  of  this 
mode  of  pinching  as  a  system. 
It  has  one  merit,  however,  and 
bearing  a  nomber  of  secon-  may  be  used  incidentally  with  any 

dary    shoots — bourgeons  an-         ,  r  •    ^        t.*. 

tic^.  system    of    summer-prunmg.      It 

should  be  remarked  that  M.  Grin 
commenced  by  simply  adopting  a  method  of  very  short  pinch- 


Peach  Shoot  of  the  current  year 


BHOBT  PINCHINQ  STSTEH  APPLIED  TO  TBB  PEACH.     371 

ing  ia  of  the  shoot.  He  now  depends  chiefly  on  pinching 
the  Btiputary  leaves,  as  shown  at  A.  This  is  the  best 
feature  of  the  system,  and  chiefly  in  dealing  with  the  little 
lateral  bourgeons  aniidpia  that  sometimes  push  forth  on 
the  current  year's  wood.  By  pinching  the  leaves  of  these 
little  buds  just  when  they  push,  as  shown  in  the  flgure, 
the  developmeat  of  the  shoot  is  not  interfered  with  ;  but  a 
sufficient  check  is  given  to  cause  the  eyes  near  the  base  to 
fill  and  become  fruit  buds,  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  171.  This 
not  done,  the  young  shoot  pushes  away,  and  is  often  quite 
naked  of  buds  at  its  base. 

To  think  of  adopting  the  system  of  Grin   in  its  purity 
would   he   folly.     As  to  training  Peach  cordons   on  this 

Fiu.  170. 


principle,  it  is  simply  nonsense  ;  as  well  might  we  think  of 
repressing  the  flow  of  the  tide  as  hope  to  succeed  with 
trees  confined  to  a  single  stem,  and  pinched  in  quite  close. 
It  is  by  no  means  a  success  even  where  large  forms  are 
adopted;  but  with  the  cordon  there  is  no  outlet.  The 
cordons  trained  after  this  method  in  the  public  garden  at 
Chartres  must  have  esbauated  the  patience  of  the  cultivator, 
for  their  shoots  had  started  right  away  from  the  wall,  and 
grown  aa  much  as  eighteen  inches  long! 

"  This,"  eaid  I,  "  will  never  do  for  England."     "  Nor 
bb3 


372      SHORT  PINCHING  SYSTEM  APPLIED  TO  THE  PEACH. 

for  France  I''  added  an  eminent  Parisian  firoit  grower.  The 
only  chance  of  success  with  the  Peach  as  a  cordon  is  by 
laying  in  the  side  shoots  regularly.  Since  the  aboTC  was 
written  a  report  on  Grin's  method  has  been  presented  to 
the  Imperial  Horticultural  Society  of  France^  and  in  this 
also  a  Tery  unfayourable  account  of  the  system  is  given. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  as  a  system  of  pruning  it  is 
ridiculously  bad.  From  reading  a  book  on  Peach  pruning^ 
by  the  Groyemment  reporter  on  fruit  trees  at  the  Paris  Ex- 

Fio.  171. 


Besult  of  pinching  the  stipnlary  learef. 

hibition^  which  was  first  published  in  one  of  our  horticultural 
journals,  it  is  possible  that  some  people  interested  in  the 
subject  may  suppose  that  this  system  of  M.  Grin,  so  highly 
praised  therein,  is  extensively  practised  and  adopted  instead 
of  the  old  way  of  laying  in  the  shoots.  The  interests  of 
firuit  culture  compel  me  to  declare  that  it  is  not  practised 
by  any  intelligent  French  fruit  growers.  It  should  by  no 
means  be  confounded  with  the  true  cordon  system  of  growing 
the  Peach  as  it  has  been  in  the  writings  above  alluded  to. 


373 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


TRAINING. 


Training  is  very  much  better  understood  in  France  than 
in  the  British  Isles.  In  France  the  commonest  labourers 
frequently  possess  a  knowledge  of  pruning  and  conducting 
a  tree,  which  we  might  look  in  vain  for  anywhere  in  this 
country ;  and  by  way  of  illustrating  their  skill  in  this  way, 
we  cannot  do  better  than  examine  their  means  of  forming 
two  of  the  most  popular  forms  of  fruit  trees — the  Palmette 
Vender  and  the  Pyramidal  Pear  trees — chiefly  after  Du 
Breuil.  The  Pear  will  serve  to  illustrate  training  and 
pruning  as  well  as  any  other  tree,  or  better,  and  the 
principles  laid  down  will  apply  equally  to  other  fruit  trees. 
The  Palmette  Verrier. — ^Wherever  large  wall  trees  are 
grown,  the  simple  and  beautiful  form  known  to  the  French 
as  the  Palmette  Verrier  is  sure  to  obtain  a  place  among 
them.  It  is  indeed  the  finest  of  all  large  forms,  and  is  pre- 
ferred by  many  of  the  best  French  cultivators  to  any  other. 
They  use  it  for  other  trees  besides  the  Pear ;  and  by  far  the 
finest  Peach  tree  I  have  ever  seen  was  trained  after  this 
method  near  Lyons.  The  English  reader  may  think  it  im- 
possible to  attain  such  perfect  shape  as  is  shown  in  the  ac- 
companying plate,  and  such  perfect  equalization  of  sap  as 
it  suggests ;  but  I  have  seen  several  trees  even  more  beau- 
tifully finished  than  the  one  represented.  This  figure  also 
shows  the  advantages  of  the  kind  of  support  used  in 
France  for  espalier  trees  as  compared  with  our  own  ugly 
method  of  using  rough  wooden  and  iron  posts  and  strong 
bolt-like  expensive  wire.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  tree 
differs  radically  from  the  usual  form  of  Pear  tree  that  we 
are  in  the  habit  of  placing  against  walls,  and  it  is  easy  to 


374  THE   PALMETTfi   VEBRIER. 

point  out  its  advantages  in  securing  an  equal  flow  of  sap  to 
all  the  branches. 

In  the  common  horizontal  form  strength  and  fertility 
are  apt  to  desert  the  lower  branches^  in  consequence  of 
their  not  possessing  a  growing  point  to  draw  the  sap  through^ 
and  particularly  when  constant  care  is  not  taken  to  repress^ 
by  summer  pinching,  the  upper  portions  of  the  tree.  The 
form  here  figured,  in  common  with  all  very  large  wall  and 
espalier  trees,  takes  a  long  time  to  complete.  Given  a  wall 
10  ft.  or  12  ft.  high,  and  20  ft.  or  24  ft.  long,  to  be  covered 
with  a  tree  of  this  shape,  it  would  require  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years  to  form  it.  By  adopting  a  more  contracted  form 
based  upon  the  same  plan,  we  may  cover  the  wall  or  trellis 
more  quickly. 

The  Palmette  Verrier  is  named  after  the  firuit  gardener 
at  the  Ecole  R^onale  de  la  Saulsaie,  with  whom  it  was  first 
observed.  To  form  the  tree,  we  have  in  the  first  instance 
to  plant  an  ordinary  young  plant  of  a  desired  kind,  and  of 
course  that  should  be  of  the  primest  kind,  both  as  to 
quality  and  constitution,  as  so  much  care  is  about  to  be 
exercised  to  make  it  a  handsome  and  long-lived  ornament  to 
the  garden  and  valuable  aid  to  the  fruit  room.  In  forming 
this  as  all  other  trees,  the  usual  and  most  economical  custom 
is  to  choose  plants  about  a  year  old  from  the  time  of  grafting, 
or  what  are  usually  called  ^^  maiden  plants,^'  and  which  when 
planted  are  cut  down  to  within  about  a  foot  of  the  surface 
of  the  soil.  Three  well  placed  buds  are  allowed  to  remain 
and  form  three  shoots.  The  two  side  ones  go  to  form  the 
lowest  and  longest  branches  of  this  handsome  form  of  tree, 
and  at  the  second  pruning  the  young  trees  would  have 
somewhat  the  appearance  of  fig.  172.  It  is  quite  easy  to 
buy  trees  a  little  more  advanced  to  make  the  same  form 
more  quickly ;  but  they  will  be  more  expensive  the  further 
they  are  advanced  beyond  what  is  called  the  '^  maiden'' 
stage.  The  young  trees  should  be  allowed  to  remain  a  year 
or  so  in  their  positions  before  being  cut,  so  that  they  may 
have  rooted  well.  At  the  first  pruning  the  young  tree  is 
cut  down  to  within  a  foot  or  so  of  the  ground,  and  just 
above  three  suitable  eyes,  one  at  each  side  to  form  the  two 


THE   PALMETTE   VBEEIER. 


375 


lowermost  branches,  the  other  a  little  above  them  and  in 
front  to  continue  the  erect  axis.  Of  course  all  the  eyes, 
except  those  that  are  to  send  forth  the  three  first  shoots, 
must  be  suppressed  in  spring.  Now,  although  the  tree  in 
the  plate  looks  so  very  exact  and  regular  in  its  lines,  and 
the  branches  appear  as  if  they  had  been  "  bent  in  the  way 
they  should  go"  at  a  very  early  stage,  it  is  not  so ;  they  are 
at  first  allowed  to  grow  almost  erect,  and  are  afterwards 
gradually  lowered  to  the  horizontal  position.  During  the 
first  year  of  the  young  tree  possessing  three  shoots,  care 
must  be  taken  (as  at  all  times)  to  secure  a  perfect  equilibrium 
between  them.  If  one  grows  stronger  than  the  others,  it 
must  be  loosened  from  its  position  on  the  wall  and  lowered. 


Fio.  172.        Fig.  173. 


Fio.  174. 


Second  pruning.    Third  pruning.  Fourth  pruning 

The  Palmette  Verrier. 


This  will  divert  the  sap  so  as  to  strengthen  the  rest. 
Nothing  is  more  easily  conducted  than  the  sap  when  we  pay 
a  little  attention  to  it ;  if  not,  it  soon  rushes  towards  the 
higher  points,  and  spoils  the  symmetry  of  the  tree. 

We  then,  at  the  second  pruning,  have  to  cut  them  at  B, 
and  also  cut  oflf  about  a  third  of  the  length  of  the  side 
shoots,  as  at  A  A,  Fig.  172.  If  one  side  branch  happens 
to  be  stronger  than  the  other,  cut  the  stronger  one  some- 
what shorter.  In  cutting  and  pruning  wall  trees  the  cut 
should  be  made  above  a  front  bud,  so  that  the  wound  made 
by  the  knife  may  be  turned  towards  the  wall,  and  away 
from  the  eye,  fi-om  which,  of  course,  it  soon  will  be  effec- 
tually hidden  by  this  front  bud  pushing  into  a  shoot,  and 


376 


THE   PALMETTE   VERRIER. 


thickening  at  its  base.  During  the  second  year  no  more 
branches  must  be  permitted  to  grow,  simply  because  the 
trainer  desires  to  throw  all  the  strength  he  can  into  the 
lower  branches,  which  are  to  be  the  longest.  Sometimes, 
however,  the  strength  of  the  lower  branches  will  permit  the 
second  stage  of  branches  to  be  made  during  the  second  year 
of  training.  At  the  third  pruning  the  trees  will  present 
somewhat  the  appearance  of  Fig.  173,  the  central  stem 
being  cut  at  six  inches  or  so  above  the  previous  incision, 
which  is  indicated  by  a  slight  ring,  and  a  third  part  of  the 
new  growth  of  the  side  branches  cut  off,  as  shown  on  the 

Fio.  175. 


t 


a  y  4  f  .-^/^ 


The  Palmetto  Verrier.    Fifth  pruning. 


side  branches  of  Fig.  173.  Here,  again,  we  cut  above  and 
inside  of  three  promising  eyes  to  obtain  a  new  set  of 
branches,  and  each  succeeding  year  add  another  series 
until  the  tree  is  formed.  Fig.  174  represents  the  aspect 
of  the  young  tree  at  the  fourth  pruning.  At  the  end 
of  the  following  growing  season  the  specimen  will  have 
grown  suflSciently  to  allow  the  lower  branches  to  be  turned 
up  towards  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  begin  to  look  shapely. 
Fig.  175  is  an  exact  representation  of  what  it  ought  to  be 
at  that  stage — A,  and  the  cross  marks,  indicating  where  the 
cuttings  are  to  be  made.  Above  aU  things  is  it  necessary 
tp  keep  the  growth  and  flow  of  sap  equal,  not  only  for  the 


THE    FALIfBTTE    VEERIER. 


377 


lake  of  symmetry,  but  also  to  insure  perfect  health  and 
fertility ;  for  if  one  part  be  allowed  to  grow  grossly  at  the 
expense  of  another,  an  awkward  state  of  things  will  soon 
take  place.  Sometimes,  when  the  vegetation  is  very 
vigorous,  time  is  gained  in  the  making  of  this  form  by 
pinching  the  ceutral  growth  at  eight  iuchea  or  so  above 
the  highest  pair  of  opposite  branches.  It  then  breaks 
again,  and  care  is  taken  to  secure  two  side  shoots  and  one 
erect  one.  Thus,  with  care,  and  in  good  soil,  two  stages  of 
branches  may  be  secured  in  the  same  year,  but  this  must 
not  be  attempted  till  the  proper  formation  of  the  two  lower 

Flo.  176. 


Palmette  Verrier,  with  H-caklj  outer  branch  complelcJ  by  graftiog. 

branches  is  secured.  The  dotted  lines  in  Fig.  175  will 
show  the  positions  that  have  been  successively  occupied  by 
the  branch  £,  when  in  course  of  formation,  and  that  it  is 
by  no  means  necessary  to  train  a  young  branch  from  the 
beginniug  in  the  exact  position  it  is  required  to  take.  In 
fact,  this  form  is  only  to  be  well  and  easily  perfected  by 
allowing  the  young  shoots  to  first  grow  and  gather  strength 
in  an  erect  or  oblique  position.  The  branch  E  kept  com- 
'  pany  when  young  with  the  central  branch,  and  was  at  B ; 
then  it  was  lowered  to  C,  nest  year  to  D,  and  finally  to  its 
horizontal  position.  Some  care  is  required  to  make  the 
bend  of  the  shoots  equal  and  easily  rounded.     If  the  tree 


378   PYRAMIDAL  TRAINING  OP  THE  PEAR  TREE. 

be  trained  on  a  wire  trellis^  it  is  best  to  place  two  bent  rods 
in  the  exact  position  necessary,  and  before  we  require  the 
shoot  to  be  bent.  They  must  be  placed  at  exactly  equal 
distances  from  the  main  stem,  and  be  equal  in  cuirature. 
Then  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  gently  attach  the  growing 
shoot  to  them ;  it  will  soon  harden  to  the  desired  bend. 
Against  a  wall  it  will  be  easy  to  direct  it  with  shreds  and 
nails;  if  the  wall  be  wired  the  bits  of  bent  twig  may  he 
applied,  as  on  the  trellis.  Like  care  should  be  bestowed 
upon  the  other  bends,  as  they  require  to  be  made ;  but  of 
course  the  outer  and  lower  one  is  of  the  greatest  importance. 
As  this  form  is  not  at  all  presentable  if  the  outer  branches 
be  incomplete,  grafting  by  approach  is  sometimes  employed 
to  repair  this  defect,  as  shown  in  Fig.  176. 

The  reader  will  observe  that,  in  the  formation  of  this 
Palmette  Verrier,  the  custom  is  not  to  attempt  training  the 
young  shoot  in  the  position  it  is  finally  destined  to  occupy; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  to  permit  it  first  to  grow  sometimes  in 
an  erect,  or  at  least  in  an  oblique  direction,  so  that  the  sap 
may  flow  upwards  without  check.  Nothing  is  easier  than 
taking  down  the  shoots  from  time  to  time,  as  they  become 
strong  and  well  developed.  Now  this  is  a  principle  almost 
unknown,  ^nd  certainly  not  practised  in  this  country;  being 
applicable  to  many  forms  of  training,  I  can  strongly  recom- 
mend it,  having  frequently  witnessed  the  good  eflfects  pro- 
duced by  careftiUy  carrjdng  it  out. 

Pyramidal  Training  of  the  Pear  Tree. — This  culture 
is,  considered  from  the  stand-point  of  beauty  alone,  as  desir- 
ably as  any  with  which  amateurs  interest  themselves.  I 
have  seen  in  the  gardens  of  even  very  humble  French  ama- 
teurs pyramidal  pear  trees,  which,  if  they  never  afforded 
a  finit,  would  be  beautiful  objects ;  and  I  have  met  with 
few  avenues  that  afforded  me  more  pleasure  than  a  short  one 
of  pyramidal  pear  trees  leading  up  through  a  little  town 
garden  within  the  walls  of  Paris.  We  will  begin,  then, 
with  the  frdly  formed  pyramid,  and  in  addition  to  its 
symmetry  will  be  observed  the  straight  clean  growth 
of  each  branch,  springing  at  regular  intervals  from  the 
main  stem,  which  is  so  erect  and  well  furnished.     From 


PTBAHTDAL  TBAINIHO  OF  THE  PEAE  TKBE.      S79 


tlie  summit  to  the  base  sncli  a  tree  ought  to  be  ganiiahed 
with  nothing  but  branches 
well  set  with  frnit  spurs.  f^- 1"- 

The  greatest  breadth  of 
the  pyramid  should  equal 
about  one-third  of  its 
height.  Pyramidal  trees 
may  be  purchased  in  all 
stages;  but  trees  ready- 
formed  are  costly,  and 
as  many  would  prefer 
training  their  own,  and  as 
those  who  plant  on  a 
large  scale  will  find  it 
economical  to  begin  with 
trees  a  year  from  the 
graft,  we  will  commence 
at  the  beginning  with  a 
"  maiden  tree,"  letting 
it  grow  one  year  iu  the 
ground  before  pruning  it. 
Fig.  178  represents 
the  first  pruning  of  this 
young  tree,  aud  its  ap- 
pearance one  year  after 
being  permanently  plant- 
ed, or  two  years  &oni 
the  graft.  B  shows  the 
union  of  stock  and  scion ; 
and  the  terminal  bud  A 
just  below  where  the 
shoot  is  cut  should  be  -^ 
placed  on  the  side  oppo- 
site  to  that  on  which  the 
scion  was  inserted,  as 
shown  in  the  figure,  so 
that  the  stem  of  the 
tree  may  rest  perpendicu- 
larly on  its  base.     It  is  by  attending   to  such  little  points 


PfnmidAl  Pear  Tree. 


380 


FYBAUIDAL  TRAINING  OF  THE  PEAK  TREK. 


as  this  that  the  French  get  that  perfectly  equal  diatribntion 
of  aap  which  is  bo  essential  to  the  satisfactory  management 
and  prolonged  fertility  of  trained  fruit  trees.  The  summer 
following  the  first  pmningj  the  young  trees  push  with  great 
TigooTj  and   their  shoote   should  be  thinned  when  a  few 


inchea  long,  removing  every 
shoot  from  the  base  of  the 
stem  to  a  height  of  about  one 
foot,  and  thinning  out  those 
above  this  point  to  six,  seven, 
or  eight  shoots;  reserving  of 
course  the  best  placed  shoots, 


arranged  as  far  as  possible  at  qdnug  to  be  pinched. 
regular  intervals.  Should  they 
in  the  course  of  the  year  assume  an  irregular  develop- 
ment, pinching  with  the  finger  and  thumb  must  be  resorted 
to.  This  is  shown  in  Fig.  179.  The  shoots,  A  A,  have 
pushed  too  much ;  and  one  of  them  rivals  the  leading  shoot 
B ;  they  therefore  must  be  piached,  merely  taking  an  inch 
or  so  off. 


FXBAHIDAL  TRAINING  OF  THE  FEAR  TREE.   881 


In  the  Spring  of  the  folloving  year  the 
young  trees  should  present  the  appearance 
of  Fig.  180;  the  cross  marks  showing  how 
the  pruning  is  to  be  performed.  This  second 
pruning  has  for  its  object  the  production  of  a 
new  set  of  lateral  branches,  and  the  further 
development  of  those  already  obtained.  It  is 
evident  that  to  secure  a  beautiful  tree,  the 
branches  must  spring  forth  regularly  from  the 
main  stem,  which  they 
FiQ.  180.  are   not   likely  to   do 

if  the  tree  is  left  to 
itself.  Fig.  181  shows 
the  way  iu  which  the 
careful  cultivator  fur- 
nishes his  stem,  as 
regularly  as  could  be 
desired.  The  eyes 
which  he  desires  to 
break  strongly  have 
an  incision  made  above 
them,  as  shown  in  the 
figure.  This  is  parti- 
cularly desirable  as 
regards  the  lower  part 
of  each  successive 
growth  of  the  erect 
stem ;  the  vigour  of 
the  rising  current  of 
sap  often  pushing  towards  the  higher  buds, 
and  causing  the  lower  part  to  be  poorly  fur- 
nished. These  incisions,  A,  A,  A,  must  be 
carefully  performed  on  the  young  branch : 
deep  enough  t«  penetrate  the  sap  wood,  and 
yet  not  so  deep  as  to  hurt  the  slender  rising 
point.  The  top  of  this  shoot,  instead  of  being 
cut  off,  has  been  barked  for  some  portion  of 
its  length  above  the  bud  that  has  been  selected 
to  continue  the  growth  of  the  coming  summer. 


1 


Leading  glioot 
of  Pew  Tree, 
ahoiring  inci- 
iioDaA,A,A, 
made  tbore 
the  badi  re- 
quired to 
break  ibi)B{- 


S82      PTRAHIDAL  TEAINING  0?  THE  PEAR  TEXB. 


To  this  the  young  shoot  is  trained,  and  a  perfectly  vertical 
growth  for  what  we  may  term  the  pillar  of  the  tree  is  thereby 
secured.  The  bark  is  neatly  cut  round  above  the  upper 
eye ;  the  bnmch  i»  cut  off  at  about  four  or  fire  iuchea  above 

Fio.  1&3. 


A,  part  of  old  IsadiDg  ihoot 
bkrked  and  left  to  tie  thq 
yooDg  ihoot  to.  It  is  cot  Kt 
B  whan  the  (hoot  ii  aniTed 
■t  nMturitj. 


A,  B,  C,  iDciBioTui  asde  ■ban 
and  faclow  brancbei  and  bods 
to  check  their  irregnUritj. 


that  point,  and  then  the  bark  is  taken  clean  off.  When 
the  young  leading  shoot  is  long  enough,  it  is  fastened  to 
the  bare  portion  of  stem,  as  shown  at  Fig.  182.  The  portion 
A  is  cut  off  at  B  at  the  next  winter  pruning.  This  process 
may  be  prolonged  as  long  as  necessary  or  convenient. 


PTRAHIDAL   TKA.1NING   Ot   THE   PEAK   TREE. 


883 


In  pruning  the  tree  considerable  judgment  is  required, 
BO  as  to  get  the  base  of  the  specimen  well  furnished,  and 
secure  fertility  in  the  fruiting  branches.  Fig.  185  shows 
how  thifl  ia  performed,  and  several  of  the  following  figures 
well  explain  the  principle.  It  is  to  cut  them  of  the  greatest 
IcQgth  at  the  base  of  the  tree,  and  gradually  shorten  them 
as  we  reach  the  top.  The  nearer  they  spring  to  the  soil, 
the  longer  they  must  be  left,  or,  to  be  more  precise,  only  a 
third  must  be  cut  £rom  the  points  of  the  lowest  branches ; 
half  the  length  may  be  taken  from  those  situated  between 
summit  and  base ;  and 
lastly,  three  quarters  may  ^'•'-  ^^■ 

be  cut  from  the  most 
elevated.  In  cutting-ia 
the  lateral  branches,  the 
directly  oblique  direction 
which  it  is  desirable  they 
should  take  must  be  borne 
in  mind  in  the  pruning, 
and  the  terminal  bud  of 
each  left  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, as  at  A  in  Fig.  183. 
Incase  of  a  very  irregular 
development  among  the 
laterals,  incisiom  are  made 
above  a  weak  branchlet 
to  encourage  it,  as  at  A, 
Fig.  184,  and  below 
strong  one,  as  at  C,  t 
retard  it  until  the  equilibrium  of  the  branches  is  esta- 
blished. At  B  this  incision  ia  made  before  a  dormant 
bud  that  has  failed  to  become  developed  into  a  lateral. 
This  figure  also  shows  the  relative  proportion  to  establish 
in  pruDing  irregularly  developed  branches  springing  &om  a 
main  stem  that  we  wish  to  be  equally  balanced  in  all  its 
parts.  The  weak  shoot  is  not  cut,  or  but  very  little ;  the 
strong  one  is  cut  to  below  the  level  of  the  one  it  is  desired 
to  encourage.  These  incbions  should  be  performed  with  a 
little  saw,  so  that  the  cuts  may  not  soon  heal  over.     The 


Pjramidikl  Fear  Tree.    Third  pnmiiig. 


S84      PTOAHIDAI.  TBAININO  OF  THE  PBA.B  TREB. 


inciaions   should   penetrate   Bofficientl^  into  the   layer 

young  wood  to  wdl  in- 
^'o-  '^-  tepcept  the  sap  Tesaels. 

If  with  all  these  precau- 
tions there  are  objec- 
tionably b&re  spaces  on 
the  stem,  they  iurnish 
them  by  grt^ing  by 
approach,  or  in  other 
words,  turn  back  a  vigo- 
rous branch  to  the  main 
stem,  and  graft  it  on  to 
the  bare  space  ;  and  if 
this  cannot  be  done, 
insert  a  short  ordinary 
graft  in  the  stem.  This, 
however,  with  good  ma- 
nagement will  rarely  be 
necessary. 

Having  trained  the 
branches  straight,  the 
next  point  is  to  see  that 
they  follow  the  desired 
oblique  line ;  and  it  will 
be  seen  by  the  cuts  that 
the     disposition     given 

them  is  better  than  the  one  they  assume  under  a  less  careful 

system.     The  light  enters  freely  to  the  stem,  and  illumi- 
nates all ;  the  more  important  part  of 

the  tree  is  under  the  command  of  the 

eye  and  hand,    and   the   top   is   pre- 

vented     from    running    away.     This, 

however,    is    more  owing  to  the    fine 

formation  of  the  lower  branches  than 

to  the  position   they  assume,  though 

certainly  sudi  free  and  straight  outlets 

for  the  rising  sap  are  veiy  effective  in 

preventing  a  gross  development  above, 

and  consequently  in  keeping  the  tree 


Onftingbj 


liJal  Trees. 


Fio.  187. 


PTRAUIDAL  TBAIKINQ  OF  THB  PEAB  TBBE.   386 

in  the  desired  condition.  Domig  the  Hunimer  following  the 
second  pruning,  the  operations  for  maintaining  the  lead 
with  the  vertical  branch,  and  equality  among  the  lateral 
shoots  of  the  new  growth,  must  be  carried  out  as  before 
described.  The  third  pruning  is  shown  at  Fig.  185,  and  it 
will  be  seen  that  here  again  the  young  lateral  branches  of 


Pjramiilal  Pear  Tree.    Fourth  pruning. 


the  preceding   summer  are   cnt  in  much  shorter  than  the 
lower  ones  to  favour  the  development  of  thesa 

At  the  foiirth  pruning  the  lower  branches  are  not  cut 
nearly  so  long  aa  in  the  previous  pruning,  because  they  have 
now  attained  to  almost  the  desired  length  and  sufficient 
vigour.  The  new  branches  of  the  secoud  series  are  left 
somewhat  Ijonger,  and  the  pruner  looks  more  to  the  top 
stmcturej  so  to  speak.  The  wisdom  of  well  forming 
the  base    at  first  will  be  seen  at  a  glance.     During  the 


386       PTBAKIDAI.  TRAINIHO  OF  THE  FEAR  TBIB. 

Bommer  following  the  fourth  pmning  before  described, 
atteDtion  Bhould  be  given  to  the  young  branches  at  the 
top  of  the  pyramid,  vhile  the  side  ones  will  also  require 
it.  As  the  lower  branches  will  have  attained  to  nearl7 
their  full  length,  a  too  vigorons  growth  of  the  termmal 
shoot  of  each  mnst  be  preTented  hj  pinching. 


Fio.  189. 


Fjmaidat  Peat  Tree.    Fiflb  pmning. 

Fig.  189  shows  the  aspect  of  the  tree  at  the  fifth 
pruning,  and  how  the  pruning  is  performed.  As  is 
veil  seen  by  glancing  from  B  to  A  of  Fig.  189,  the  new 
growth  of  the  lower  branches  is  cut  very  short,  while 
tbo    higher    the    remaining    superior    branches    are,  the 


PTRAHIDAI.  TBAIVIKa  OF  TBB  FBAB  TBBIi.      387 


longer   they  are    cnt.      A 


careful  glance  at  Fig.  189 
perfectly  explains  all  this. 
The  succeeding  pranings 
differ  nothing  in  principle 
irom  the  precedbg,  future 
development  taking  place 
principally  in  the  middle 
and  higher  parte  of  the 
tree.  Care  should  be 
taken  to  guide  in  the  de- 
sired direction  by  meana 
of  twine,  and  some- 
times slender  stakes,  any 
branches  that  may  have 
deviated  from  it.  Thus 
the  pruning  is  carried  on 
till  the  tree  becomes  a 
large  and  perfect  pyra- 
mid, the  laterals  being 
well  pinched   in,   and   in 


flKaro  tbeimilicilU  iodlckting  the  Hode  of 
forming  a  Fjruiiidai  PcmIVm.  (Sse  p.  389-) 


Young  Pyram'dal  Peer 


388       PTBAHIDAL  TRAIKINO  OF  THE   7BAR  TBEB. 

every  case  a  free  tenninal  shoot  being  allowed  to  proceed 
from  each,  bo  that  the  tree  may  be  kept  equally  balanced 


pTTBDudal  Pear  Tree  with  bent  brandies. 


and  the  sap  freely  conducted  through  each  branch.     They 
may    of  course    be    cut    back  well    erery    year ;    always. 


PTKAUIDAL  TKAININQ  Of  THE  FBAB  TREE.   3S9 

howeTcr,  at  a  bud  likely  to  fumisli  a  good  shoot  for  the  fol- 
lowing season. 

FM.t98. 


Fig.  190  shows  theoretically,  first,  the  central  stem  A  to 
"B,  and  its  successiTe  cuttings  back^  1  to  12 ;  secondly,  the 


890   PYEAMIDAL  TRAINING  OP  THE  PEAR  TREE. 


position  successively  occupied  by  the  lower  branches  during 
the  first  six  years^  during  whicli  they  were  successively 
lowered  and  elongated  from  the  point  C  to  T ;  and  thirdly, 
the  lines  fi^m  I  to  S  show  the  lines  of  each  year's  pruning. 
It   is  very  questionable  if  the  mathematically  designed 

pyramid  here   al- 
Fio.  194.  luded  to  be  so  de- 

sirable for  gardens 
generally  as  a 
flatter  and  less 
pointed  form.  For 
example^  the  pyra- 
mid as  represented 
at  the  time  of  its 
fourth  or  *  fifth 
pruning  is  in  out- 
line preferable  to 
the  tall  and 
finished  pyramidal 
tree  depicted  in 
Fig.  177,  and  a 
style  somewhat 
like  that  shown 
in  Pig.  191  will 
prove  easier  to 
'  form  to  those  who 
have    no   time  to 

Wall  Pear  Tree  regrafted.  *On  each  of  the  branches  «       , 

A,  B,  C,  D,  a  graft  has  been  placed.   The  graft  at  spare  tor  the  niCC- 

G  failed,  and  consequently  a  shoot,  e,  is  allowed  to  ^^^3  Qf  training, 
ascend;  so  that  it  may  be  budded  the  autumn         .  .        •,,      .. 

following  the  grafting.  Occasionally  the 

pyramidal  Pear 
has  its  branches  bent  downwards,  as  in  Fig.  192^  some 
thinking  that  this  induces  a  more  frnitful  habit.  I  never 
saw  any  clear  evidence  of  this,  and  believe  the  form  to  be 
no  better  than  the  simple  pyramid. 

The  excellent  practice  of  cutting  in  pyramidal  and  other 
trees  that  happen  to  be  worthless  varieties,  and  regrafting 
them  with  superior  kinds^  is  much  recommended  by  the 
French  growers. 


FXBAHIDAL   TRAINING    OF  THK   PEAK  TaEB.       391 


This  system  is  quite  as   applicable  to  irall  trees   8 

pyranuds  or  standards.     In  cumbers 

of  our  gardens  great  good  might  be  ^"^  ^^''• 

effected  by  regrafting  with  good  va- 
rieties, and  doing  away  with  the  wortlj- 

less  ones,  so  very  common. 

Fig.  195  represents  a  mode  of  train- 
ing to   be    seen  here    and  there  in 

France.     The  woodcut  shows  a  Ailly 

formed  tree  before  the  winter  prun- 
ing takes  place,  and,  as  will  be  seen 

at    a    glance,   it    is   an  erect    stem 

densely  furnished  with  short   fruiting 

brauches.     This   form    is    considered 

better  than  the   pyramidal  one,  where 

saving  of  space  is  a  consideration,  and 

where  we  do  not  wish   the   trees   to 

much  shade  the  crops  between  them. 

They  are   also  well  suited    for   small  y|^ 

gardens  where  space  cannot  be  afforded 

for  a  large  number  of  varieties  if 
trained  in  the  usual  way.  I  have 
thought  it  worthy  of  a  figure,  but 
except  on  the  Q.uiace  in  suitable  soils 
it  is  not  likely  to  present  many  ad- 
vantages ;  for  if  on  the  Pear  and  con- 
fined thus  closely  to  a  fastigiate  bun- 
dle of  shoots,  it  would  in  all  probability 
run  too  high  to  permit  of  proper 
^Timiftl  pruning  or  of  the  crop  being 
gathered  with  convenience.  Judging 
by  the  strength  and  thickness  dis- 
played by  our  old  horizontal  wall  trees 
grafted  on  the  Pear  stock,  what  should 
we  arrive  at  if  we  adopted  a  contracted 

form  like  this  with  trees  worked  on  

the  Pear  ?     "Why,  in  a  few  years,  and 

especially  with  tht  cordons,  we  should  have  objects  more 

like  rustic  gate-posts  than  trees. 


13 


392   PYRAMIDAL  T&AININO  OF  THE  PEAR  TREE. 


It  is  not  nnoommou  in  English  gardens  to  train  the 
branches  of  the  pyramidal  Pear  in  a  pendulous  fashion ;  and 


it  is  a  system  admired  by  some^  though  somewhat  more 
troublesome  to  form  than  the  simple  pyramid.  Fig.  196 
represents  a  mode  of  applying  a  modification  of  the  same 


PTEAHIDAL  TRAINISO  OF  THE  PEAE  TBBE.   393 

priaciple  to  the  ordinary  horizontally  trained  Fear  tree.  I  do 
not  say  that  it  is  as  good  as  it  is  gracefiil  in  appearance,  be- 
lieving as  I  do  in  simple  easily-conducted  forms,  but  as  these 
smaller  arching  branches  may  be  established  on  kinds  that 
bear  better  on  the  young  wood,  or  on  trees  with  the  branches 
thinly  placed,  it  may  prove  useful.  The  mode  of  formation 
is  BO  simple  and  so  easily  established  that  no  further  descrip- 
tion is  needed.  However,  I  cannot  say  too  often  that  the 
simple  and  quickly-formed  trees,  described  elsewhere,  are  aa 
excellent  for  walls  as  for  treUises,  combining  as  they  do  the 
advantages  claimed  for  the  cordons  with  a  not  too  con- 
tracted, repressed  development. 

When  the  exact  system  of  training  described  in  this 
chapter  is  well  carried  out,  well  furnished  branches  and 
fruitful  spurs  are  the  rule.  Should  it  not  be  so,  the 
growers  frequently  resort  to  grafting  fruit-buds  on  the  bare 
spaces,  as  shown  by  the  following  figures  ; — 


„___. frdt- 

iDg  tbe  following  jear} ;  B,  teimind 
fruitbrancliiE.cniniiKrBftiDgDffiTllt- 
iug  ihooti  oi  "'-' 


TD  KTBltll 

nnfrnitft 


S94     PTBAUmiX  TEAININQ  OT  THE   PEAR  TREE. 

The  greatest  attention  is  paid  to  the  proper  and  neat 
pinching  and  pruning  of  the  shoots,  as  shown  hj  the 
following  figures : — 


I 


Roptt  mode  of  catting  shoot.    Bhoot  cot  too  long 
FiQ.  305.  Fid.  SOS. 


Shoot  oat  too  loir. 
Fio,  207. 


Tdhhk  sboat  of  Pear  pro-      Shoot  of  Fear  piacbed    RentltofoTor-pincluiig. 
perly  pinchod    Bt    about  too  short. 

tbiir  inohea  from  tho  baae. 


_jr  ntolt  of  over-      Finchin^  of  tlie  bovrgeon    The  stipolaiy  thoota  foiced  in 
plnohing.  anttemi,     or      eecoad        growth  by  the  remoni  of  111 

BTOWU  of  ths  Pear.  priadpftl  aboot,  A. 


395 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FIG   CULTURE   IN    THE   NEIGHBOURHOOD   OF  PARIS. 

Fig  culture  as  practised  in  the  neighbourliood  of  Paris  is 
very  peculiar  and  interesting^  as  well  as  successful^  and  is^ 
I  believe,  perfectly  weU  adapted  for  the  southern  counties  of 
England.  As  I  have  seen  the  Fig  bearing  well  as  a  healthy 
standard  tree  at  Arundel  and  elsewhere  in  Sussex  without  any 
attention,  there  cannot  indeed  be  a  doubt  that  the  Parisian 
mode  is  perfectly  applicable  in  sunny  spots  in  the  south. 
It  might  even  be  carried  out  on  the  railway  embankments. 
It  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  that  the  culture  is  founded 
upon  the  habits  of  the  Fig  in  the  climates  of  Paris  and 
London.  In  hot  countries  the  Fig  is  an  evergreen  tree, 
growing  and  bearing  almost  perpetually.  In  cold  countries 
the  Fig  loses  its  leaves  in  winter,  and  becomes  in  fact  a 
deciduous  tree.  Then  the  rudimentary  figs  borne  at  the 
end  of  each  branch,  instead  of  falling  off  prematurely  as 
most  other  fruits  would  do,  seem  to  rest  stationary ;  in  the 
spring  they  recommence  their  growth,  and  ripen  oflF  into  the 
large  succulent  and  well-flavoured  figs  supplied  to  the  Paris 
market  in  summer.  The  French  call  those  figs  that  require 
part  of  two  years  for  their  development  figues-fleurs ;  those 
formed  in  spring  and  which  ripen  during  warm  autumns  are 
known  as  secondes  figues,  or  figues  d^automne.  These  ripen 
but  rarely  in  the  climate  of  Paris,  and  it  is  to  the  care  of  the 
figues-fleurs,  or  figs  formed  in  the  preceding  year,  that  all 
attention  is  given.  To  protect  them  and  the  young  branches, 
the  trees  are  trained  in  long  sweeping  shoots  pretty  near  the 
soil,  and  in  such  a  form  that  they  may  be  readily  interred 
in  the  ground  when  the  winter  and  its  dangers  come.  The 
frosts  are  often  of  great  severity  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Paris;  so  great  indeed  that  the  Fig  would  have  little  or  no 


396 


^G  CCLTDRB  IN  TBE 


Via.  211. 


chance  if  left  exposed.  So  ia  autimm  the  Bagacions  culti- 
vators tlirow  the  branches  into  four  bundles,  make  a  little 
trench  for  each,  and  cover  as  shown  hy  Figs.  214  and  217, 
with  sniall  sloping  banks  of  soil,  protecting  the  crown  of  the 
root  by  means  of  a  little  cone  of  earth,  which  merges 
gradually  into  the  four  little  ridges  that  protect  the 
branches.  When  the  plantation 
is  made  on  deeply  inclined 
ground  a  somewhat  different 
system  is  followed,  as  ia  also 
shown  by  the  figures. 

For  the  details  of  the  culture 
we  will  refer  to  Du  Brenil's 
"  Culture  des  Arbres  et  Arbris- 
seaux."  In  the  climate  of  Fans 
the  Fig  tree  is  grown  as  a  low 
shrub,  with  free  sweeping  bran- 
ches arranged  in  single  lines 
or  planted  all  together  on  a  piece 
of  ground  devoted  to  the  pur- 
pose, and  which  for  a  better 
name  maybe  called  a  "  figgery." 
The  branches  of  these  tufty 
trees  are  not  allowed  to  grow 
longer  than  from  six  to  sine  feet, 
so  diat  the  tree  may  be  conve- 
niently buried    in    the    ground 

during  the  winter.  Those  varie- 
Bnmoh  of  Fig  Tree  bearing  tUe    ..         T-   i  j  j-  . 

Kg.  formed  duriDK  the  p^d-  *>£«  which  produce  rudimentary 
!ng  year,  D;    those   tonned  fim   in   autumu   in  abondancB 

dnring  the  CDrrent  jear,  A :  uid  ,,  , 

redimentaiT  Figi,  C.  &re   the  only  ones    grown,    as 

the  figs  of  the  current  year 
very  rarely  arrive  at  maturity.  Argenteuil  and  La  fVette 
are  the  two  most  famous  localities  for  the  cultivation 
of  the  Fig  tree  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris.  Before 
the  southern  railways  were  constructed,  these  two  villages 
used  to  supply  the  whole  of  Paris  with  all  the  green 
figs  that  were  seen  in  the  markets.  The  introduction  of 
the  Fig  tree  into  Argenteuil  appears  to  have  taken  place 


NEIOHBOtJKHOOD  OF  PABIS.  397 

about  two  ceatnries  ago.  It  is  cultivated  in  orchards  in 
deeply  dug  and  richly  manured  land,  the  soil  of  which  ia  of  • 
ailiceons,  calcareous,  and  clayey  nature,  well  sheltered  &om 
the  north  and  north-west  winds,  and  open  to  the  soath  and 
east.  The  cultivation  of  the  Fig  extends  over  a  space  of 
180  acres,  the  production  being  somewhere  about  400,000 
figs  per  annum.  The  variety  grown  in  this  localify  is  the 
Blanqnette  or  white  Courcourelle,  and  the  method  of  grow- 
iog  it  is  as  follows : — 

Layers  raised  in  baskets  or   in  the  ordinary  way  are 
planted  in  the  month  of  March  in  holes  about  four  feet 

Fia.  313. 


fig  IVee  groniog  on  level  gnjund. 

six  inches  in  diameter,  and  one  foot  eight  inches  deep,  filled 
with  well  manured  mould.  The  planting  is  performed  in 
such  a  way  that  the  roots  of  the  layer  arc  buried  from  ten 
inches  to  one  foot  deep,  and  that  the  stem  which  springs  out 
of  the  earth  in  an  oblique  direction  should  be  covered  with 
from  three  to  four  inches  of  earth.  To  form  the  stool 
more  quickly  two  layers  may  be  planted  in  the  same  hole 
instead  of  only  one.  In  this  case  the  two  layers  are  placed 
in  lines  parallel  to  those  of  the  plantation  at  eight  inches' 
distance  from  each  other,  and  in  such  a  way  that  the  sterna 
are  opposed   to  each  other  in  the  direction  of  this  line. 


308 


via  CULTUKE  IN  THE 


The  surface  of  the  liole  should  be  at  least  a  foot  below  that 
of  the  surrounding  soil.  The  rest  of  the  soil  is  arranged 
slaoitwise  round  the  stem  of  the  layer^  so  that  the  rain- 
water may  be  easily  retained  round  the  roots  of  the  young 
trees.  The  trees  are  planted  five  or  six  yards  apart^  the 
lines  being  separated  by  a  space  of  about  four  yards^  so  as 
to  form  a  kind  of  quincuncial  arrangement.  These  young 
plants  are  left  to  themselves  during  the  whole  of  the 
summer^  care  being  taken  to  keep  them  from  drought  by 
means  of  frequent  watering  and  careful  covering.  During 
the  first  half  of  November^  when  the  first  cold  days  set  in. 
and  the  trees  are  completely  bare  of  leaves^  a  dry  day  is 
chosen  when  the  ground  is  not  too  damp^  and  the  young 
branch  is  carefully  bent  downwards  until  it  reaches  the 

bottom    of   the 
^»-2i3.  trench.      It    is 

then  covered  up 
with  a  layer  of 
earth  a  foot  deep 
to  preserve  it 
from  the  cold. 
Towards  the  end 
of  February^  as 
soon  as  the 
weather  has  become  mild,  the  branches  are  uncovered  and 
the  trench  is  arranged  the  same  as  it  was  before  earthing 
up.  The  development  of  the  young  plant  is  again  allowed 
to  proceed  during  the  summer,  after  which  it  is  once  more 
earthed  up  in  November. 

The  third  spring  after  planting,  a  fine  day  is  chosen  to- 
wards the  middle  of  March — the  young  stem  is  cut  at  from 
six  to  eight  inches  from  the  ground  so  as  to  favour  the  pro- 
duction of  a  large  crop  of  shoots,  which  will  afterwards  form 
the  principal  branches  of  the  tree.  These  shoots  are  allowed 
to  grow  through  the  summer,  and  are  earthed  up  in  autunm. 
This  process  is  performed  according  to  the  following 
directions : — ^A  dry  day  is  chosen  when  the  soil  is  in  a 
finable  condition,  so  that  it  will  fill  the  spaces  between  the 
branches  without  leaving  any  empty  places.     The  soil  used 


Section  showing  Fig  Tree  growing  on  level  ground. 


NSIGEBOTniHOOD  OF  PABIB. 


390 


shonld  be  £ree  from  leaves,  grass,  and  straw,  trhicli  if  iliey 
frere  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with  the  bnried  branches 
wonld  canae  them  to  become  rotten.  It  is  also  necenary 
to  pull  oflF  the  half-grown  autumn  figs,  which  would  rot  in 
the  earth,  and  cause  the  same  mischief  aa  any  other  de> 
composing  vegetable  matter.  These  precautions  having  been 
taken,  the  branches  of  the  tree  are  divided  into  four  equal 
bundles,  each  being  tied  together  with  string.  As  many 
trenches  as  there  are  bundles  of  branches  are  then  dug  in  the 
ground.     Each 

trench       com-  F'"'  V*- 

mences  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree, 
and  is  made  of 
sufficient  depth 
to  contain  the 
bundles  of  bran- 
ches. They  are 
dug  in  different 
directions,  ac- 
cording as  the 
ground  is  in- 
clined or  hori- 
zontal. In  the 
formercase  they 
are   dug  all  in 

the     same     up-  SIicwiDg  the  Hods  of  barjing  the  Elg  Ttmb  cnltivatcd 

ward     direction  ""  '^^^'  ground,  to  presene  them  &om  beiog  iettiojei 

,     „.      „  bj  frOBt  in  winter. 
as  in  Pig.  217; 

when,  however,  the  ground  is  horizontal,  they  radiate  eqoally 
from  the  centre.  The  earthing  up  of  the  branches  being  ac- 
complished accordingto  these  directions,  each  bundle  is  covered 
with  mould  to  the  depth  of  eight  inches,  a  small  cone  being 
piled  up  exactly  over  the  root. 

Towards  the  end  of  February  of  the  fourth  or  fifth 
year  of  planting,  a  damp  warm  day  is  chosen  for  uncovering 
the  buried  Fig  trees.  The  sooner  this  operation  is  accom- 
plished the  more  forward  will  be  the  growth  of  the  tree, 
and  the  ripening  of  the  fruit ;  but  the  early  fruit  is  often 


400 


Fio  culthbb  in  the 


destroyed  by  the  late  firosta.  For  this  reason  some  grovera 
prefer  to  defer  this  operation  until  tlie  end  of  March,  al- 
though the  trees  frequently  suffer  from,  being  thus  suddenly 
Kbposed  to  tlie  lieat  of  the  sun,  and  the  fruit  does  not 
ripen  so  veil.  Others  uncorer  one-half  their  trees  at  the 
end  of  Febmary,  and  the  other  half  at  the  end  of  March. 
By  this  means  a  better  average  crop  is  insured  both  in 
quality  and  quantity.  The  branches  are  separated  from 
each  other  by  equal  distances  so  as  to  avoid  confusion,  as 
well  as  to  prevent 
Fk*-  215.  the  leaves  from  rob- 

bing against  the 
fruit,  which  would 
have  the  effect  of 
blackening  them, 
and  render  them 
-fcji)  comparatively 
j^Ar  vortbless.  Those 
branches  that  are 
too  near  the  ground 
are  also  held  up  by 
means  of  forked 
pieces  of  wood.  The 
soil  is  carefully  le> 
veiled  where  the 
ground  is  horizon- 
tal,  a  little  hollow 
being  made  round 
the  root  of  the  tree 
to  hold  the  rain  water.  Trees  that  are  planted  on 
sloping  ground  require  hollows  to  be  made  in  the 
soil,  so  that  the  water  which  flows  fr^m  the  higher 
ground  may  be  collected  at  the  root  of  each  tree. 
In  this  way  a  proper  degree  of  moisture  is  insured 
dnring  the  whole  of  the  summer,  besides  which  the 
soil  is  prevented  from  being  cut  up  by  the  rains. 
This  plan  would  seem  to  be  peculiarly  well  suited 
to  plantations  on  the  steep  slopes  of  railway  embank- 
ments.     Henceforward    the   young   shoots   growing   fit>m 


NEIGHBOURHOOD  OP  PAEI8. 


40,1 


«  retain  the  water. 


the    Btock  are    carefully    cat   off;    otherwise    they   woald 
weaken  the  lai^er  branches.     These  precautions  are  taken 
during  the  fifth 
year.  ^'^-  iiS- 

In  the  spring 
of  the  sixth 
year  the  oldest 
branches  are  of 
the  form  shown 
in  Fig.  218. 
The  operation 
of  nipping  off 
the  buds  at  the 
end  of  each 
branch  is  per- 
formed as  soon 
as  the  uncov- 
ered trees  begin 
to  show  signs  of  springing  into  leaf,  that  is  to  say  that 
on  some  fine  day  the  bud  on  the  end  of  each  lateral 
shoot  is  pinched  off  so  as  to  favour  the  formation  of  buds 
on  the  wood 
Fio.  217.  lower    down,   as 

well  as  for  the  en- 
couragement of 
any  young  figs 
that  already 
show  signs  of 
making  their  ap- 
pearance. About 
one-half  of  the 
buds  on  the  side 
branches  are 
also  pinched  off, 
choosing  those 
that  are  nearest 
to  the  young  figs.  Two,  however,  are  always  left  on  near  the 
base  of  each  branch,  and  one  towards  the  tip,  in  order  to  drair 
up  the  sap.     The  end  shoot  of  each  branch  is  treated  in  the 


402 


IflG  CULTURE   IN   THE 


Fio.  218. 


same  maimer  but  with  this  difference^  that  the  bud  imme- 
diately below  the  one  at  the  end  is  allowed 
to  remain  on^  as  well  as  one  or  two  more 
for  the  purpose  of  producing  side  branches, 
which  ought  to  be  left  about  a  foot  from 
each  other  on  each  stem.  As  soon  as  the 
young  shoots  attain  the  length  of  about 
two  inches^  the  shoots  on  all  the  lateral 
branches  and  on  the  end  branch  are  nipped 
off — a  fine  day  being  chosen  for  the  purpose. 
Of  the  former  only  a  single  shoot — ^the 
one  nearest  the  base  of  the  branch — ^is 
allowed  to  remain  so  as  to  replace  the  one 
which  bears  the  fruit  of  the  year.  The 
shoot  at  the  end  of  the  terminal  branch  is 
allowed  to  remain,  and  some  of  the  lateral 
ones  intended  to  bear  fruit  in  the  follow- 
ing year.  These  last  are  spaced  out  so 
that  they  may  receive  an  equal  amount  of 
sunshine  without  being  interwoven  or  rub- 
I^Sif  H^  *^8o  of  bing  their  leaves  against  the  fruit.  As 
ba«6  of  the  shoots,     soon  as  the  proper  number  of  branches 

that  each  stool  ought  to  bear  is  reached, 

all  new  shoots  growing  on  the  parent  stem  are  nipped  off. 
Although  the  figs  which  make  their 

appearance  during  the  current  year 

ripen  with  diflSculty,  a  certain  number 

may  be  grown   in  favourable  years. 

To   hasten  their  ripening  you  must 

proceed  in    the  following   manner. 

Those  branches  which  appear  to  be 

most  prolific   are   allowed  to  retain 

two  shoots  at  their  base  instead  of 

only  one.     The  one  nearest  the  base 

is  intended  to  produce  the  young  figs 

for  the  following  year,  the  other  the 

autumn    figs.      In   order    to   force 

these  latter  into  rapid  growth  the 

end  of  the  shoot  must   be  nipped 


Stem  ofFig  the  sixth 
year  after  planting. 
The  points  of  the 
shoots  A,  A,  A^  A, 
are  pinched  off  in 
spring  to  fayoar  the 
doTelopment  of  the 


Fio.  219. 


D... 


Figbranch  with  young  Figs. 


e  lateral  side  bads, 
A,  i3,  B,  B,  are  pinched  in 
spring, — two  at  the  base, 
D,  D,  and  one  at  the  apex, 
C,  being  left. 


NEIGHBOURHOOD  OF  7ABIS. 


403 


Fio.  220, 


off  as  fiooQ  as  it  has  attained  the  length  of  fouf  or 
fire  inches.  As  the  process  of  forcing  anttunn  figa 
to  ripen  makes  the  trees  weaker  and  less  able  to  produce 
the  bads,  or  "  fig  flowers,"  for  the  next  year,  only  those 
which  are  strong  and  vigorous  should  be  chosen  for  the 
purpose. 

Should  the  late  firosts  destroy  the  crop  of  figs,  an 
event  which  may  take  place  before  the  middle  of  May^ 
summer  pruning  must  be  resorted 
to,  that  is  to  say,  each  lateral 
branch  is  pruned  back  to  near 
the  stem.  This  operation  causes 
the  sap  to  flow  to  the  old  wood 
and  produce  a  large  crop  of  shoots. 
This  circumstance  is  taken  advau- 
tage  of  to  fill  up  empty  spaces,  of 
course  taking  care  to  leave  only 
those  shoots  growing  that  are 
really  useful.  The  shoots  are 
thinned  out  according  to  the  me- 
thod already  described. 

After    the     figs    are    gathered, 
each  branch  bearing  fruit  presents 
the  appearance  shown  in  fig.  320, 
or  that   in   fig.  221,  if   the    shoots   Branch  nf  Fig  Tree   alter  tlie 
have    been    retained  so    that    we      fK""'"?^,!^ ',^'„r''ii/i"™ 

\nc  year   be   uouaually  WArtn, 

may  have  autumn  figs.     Towards      '  "■-  ' "^^ 

the  end  of  August  a  dry  day  is 
chosen  for  cleaning  the  figgery. 
The  portions  of  the  shoots  which 

have  borne  fruit  are  cut  off  as  shown  at  fig.  220,  and 
useless  shoots  are  taken  away  just  above  the  lowest  eye.  If 
this  eye  should  develope  the  succeeding  year  it  is  disbudded 
in  its  turn.  Withered  branches  are  also  removed  quite 
close  to  the  stem,  care  being  taken  to  cover  the  open  places 
with  grafting  wax.  Some  growers  leave  this  operation  until 
the  spring  of  the  following  year,  but  prunings  made  at  that 
time  give  rise  to  a  much  greater  loss  of  sap,  and  the 
wounds  made  in  the  tree  heal  up  with  great  difliculty. 


404      FIO  CDLTDBX  IN  THE  NEIGnSOUKHOOU  OF  FABIB. 


In  the  spring  of  the  seventh  year  the  lateral  hranches  of 
each  stem  are  treated  like  those  of  the  preceding  year. 
The  other  operations  are  similar  to  those  already  described. 
He  principal  branches  are  allowed  to  grow  longer  every 
year,  taking  care  to  allow  the  fniit-bearing  shoots,  which 
are  replaced  from  y^ar  to  year,  like  those  of  the  Peach  tree, 
to  remain  at  regular  intervals.  When  the  branches  have 
.  grown  to  the  length  of  from  six  to  nine  feet,  their  growth 
should  be  checked,  other- 
-'  wise  the  sap  will  desert 

the  fruit-bearing  branches 
at  the  sides,  and  so  cause 
them  to  wither  away. 
When  sufficiently  long 
the  principal  are  treated 
in  the  same  way  as  di- 
rected for  the  side 
branches. 

The  earthing  up  to 
which  the  branches  of  the 
Fig  tree  are  subjected 
every  year  causes  them 
to  grow  in  a  horizontal 
direction  a  foot  or  eigh- 
teen inches  from  the 
ground.     This  is  an  ele- 

BrtDch  of  Elg  Ti««  after  the  ntheTini;  of  ,„.    _*   „ e 

ihocnip.    Cb8mtheyo«ng^g.forth9  "»«»*  «   Success,   for  on 

oomiDg  year's  crop  ;  D  ii  pincEed  back  thc    One   hand    the    fruit 

to  help  the  ripening  of  aame  of  the  Figa  i.     i       it                    j 

of  the  carrsnt  jeir  ;  aad  the  fruit  hw  nearest      to      the      grOUnd 

b«engathcr.;dCronith9MkodBln»t,wbich  receives  the  greater  part 
iacotatB.  ^11.1.13       ■ 

of  the    heat   and    npens 

readily,  and  on  the  other  the  sap  is  more  evenly  distri- 
buted amongst  the  different  side  branches.  The  Ar- 
genteuil  Fig  trees  begin  to  bear  when  they  are  six  years 
old,  and  are  in  full  perfection  at  ten  years.  They  live  a  long 
time,  but  it  is  necessary  to  renew  ^e  long  and  old  stems, 
which  wear  out  every  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  requisite  number  of  shoots  are  allowed  to  grow  on 
the  parent  stem  to  replace  those  which  are  cut  away  in  the 


PRESERVING   GRAPES   THROUGH   THE   WINTER.      403 

August  following.  The  soil  round  the  trees  should  be  dug 
up  every  year  in  the  spring  after  having  unearthed  the 
branches  and  before  covering  in  the  trenches  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree.  They  should  also  be  well  watered  several  times 
during  the  summer  and  manured  every  three  years.  The 
practice  of  putting  a  drop  of  fine  oil  into  the  eye  of 
the  fruit  just  as  it  colours  and  shows  signs  of  openings  to 
hasten  its  maturity,  is  employed  about  Paris,  especially  during 
cold  summers. 

Preserving  Grapes  through  the  Winter  without  letting  them 

hang  on  the  Vines. 

The  preservation  of  grapes  through  the  winter  with  the 
least  amount  of  trouble  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  all 
matters  to  the  British  grape  grower.  Every  cultivator, 
young  or  old,  knows  to  his  cost  what  a  task  it  is  to  keep 
grapes  hanging  aU  the  winter  after  they  are  ripe,  especiaUy 
in  places  where  there  are  a  good  many  houses  devoted  to 
vines.  The  latest  books  on  the  vine  give  directions  for 
regulating  the  vineries  so  as  to  preserve  the  grapes  on  the 
vine  after  they  are  ripe,  and  every  calendar  of  operations 
tells  us  how  to  manage  them  in  that  respect,  though  I  fear 
the  directions  are  not  always  intelligible.  Here,  for 
instance,  is  an  extract  from  a  recent  issue  of  a  leading 
garden  paper : — "  Those  who  wish  to  keep  grapes  hanging 
as  fresh  and  plump  as  possible  to  the  longest  possible  period^ 
must  take  care  not  to  afford  them  too  much  heat,  as  an 
excess  of  this,  no  matter  how  dry  the  structure  may  be,  or 
how  favourably  treated  otherwise,  is  sure  to  cause  them  to 
shrivel  more  or  less  prematurely.  Give  only  just  such 
warmth  to  the  pipes  or  flues  as  will  insure  sufficient  buoy- 
ancy to  any  humidity  (!)  which  may  arise  in  the  house  as  to 
enable  it  to  make  its  escape.  Independently  of  the  ill 
effects  caused  by  actual  heat,  a  too  warm  atmosphere,  even 
in  the  driest  house,  will  cause  a  correspondingly  excessive 
evaporation  and  consequent  condensation.''  Then  of  course 
we  must  have  fire  heat  and  give  air  when  foggy  days  occar, 
as,"  says  Mr.  Thompson  of  Chiswick — "  the  mean  tempe- 


rs 


406   PRESERVING  GRAPES  THROUGH  THE  WINTER 

rature  of  this  montli  (Noyember)  is  on  the  average  little 
above  40^^  and  the  air  is  generally  saturated  with  moisture. 
When  this  is  the  case^  moisture  will  be  deposited  on  all 
substances  exposed  to  the  air^  if  they  are  not  warmer  than 
it  is.  Grapes  that  are  ripe  should  therefore  be  kept 
warmer  than  the  air^  otherwise  they  will  be  liable  to  damp. 
The  application  of  fire  heat  would  effect  this  :  but  if  it  were 
applied  suddenly^  and  without  air  being  given  at  the  same 
time,  the  heated  air  would  deposit  moisture  on  the  berries ; 
for  although  these  would  ultimately  acquire  the  same  tem- 
perature as  that  of  the  air  surrounding  them^  yet  for  a  time 
they  would  be  colder^  and  so  long  as  this  is  the  case  they 
would  act  as  condensers  of  the  moisture  in  the  warmer  air 
in  contact  with  them.  The  more  rapidly  the  air  is  heated, 
the  greater  for  a  time  will  be  the  difference  betweoi  the 
temperature  of  the  fruit  and  that  of  the  air,  and  of  course 
the  slower  the  heating  the  less  at  any  time  will  be  the 
difference.  Give  therefore  in  damp  weather,  a  little  fire 
heat  in  the  morning  and  admit  air.  If  the  nights  are  cold, 
the  temperature  of  the  house  should  not  be  allowed  to  fieJl 
lower  than  45®."' 

Here  then  are  nice  operations  and  a  lot  of  trouble  to 
bestow  on  perhaps  half  a  dozen  houses  during  the  winter 
months  I  If  the  vineries  are  shaky  and  badly  heated,  the 
task  is  most  difficult  and  annoying ;  in  the  best  constructed 
ones  it  is  a  great  and  needless  labour.  The  trouble  of 
regulating  the  atmosphere,  the  expense  for  fire  heat,  and 
the  necessity  of  keeping  the  house  almost  entirely  devoted 
to  the  grapes,  must  render  any  improvement  very  acceptable. 
Several  times  during  the  spring  of  1867  I  noticed  grapes 
hanging  from  branches  the  ends  of  which  were  inserted  in 
vases  of  water — ^grapes  which  the  exhibitors  described  as 
having  been  for  a  long  time  so  preserved  in  a  fi^sh  state. 
From  such  few  specimens  I  did  not  derive  sufficient  confi- 
dence in  the  method  to  speak  with  certainty  of  its  merits, 
but  having  since  then  visited  a  good  many  gardens  in  which 
the  method  is  practised,  I  found  that  it  is  accepted  as  a  great 
boon  by  some  of  the  best  gardeners  in  France,  and  their 
system  of  keeping  grapes  has  been  altered,  accordingly. 


WITHOUT  LETTING  TUBU   HAND  OK  THB  TINES.      407 


The  bert  example  in  a  private  place  was  in  the  gaitlens  of 
Ferrieres,  the  magnificent  country  seat  of  Baron  Bothschild, 
Here  they  have  constructed,  in  addition  to  very  fine  and 
well  filled  fruit  rooms,  a  grape  room,  which  is  filled  with 
stands  thickly  hung  from  top  to  bottom  with  all  kinds  of 
grapes.  M.  Bergman,  the  manager,  was  cutting  down  all 
his  grapes  in  harvest  fashion,  aud  would  in  a  few  weeksj  as 
soon  as  the  latest  houses  were  ripe,  have  his  many  and 
well  managed  vineries  to  do  as  he  pleased  with :  ripen  the 
wood,  prune  and  clean  the  vines,  or  utilize  the  cleared 
space  of  the  houses  for  any  purpose  that  might  be  ctm* 


Fro.  222. 


Portion  of  upright 
unt^d  in  Urapo- 
*  Ferriiraa. 


venient,  not   fearing   as  we  do  to  spill  a  drop  of  water  or 
make  full  use  of  the  house. 

The  grapes  are  cut  with  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
shoot  attached,  much  as  if  one  were  pruning  the  vine ;  the 
shoot  is  inserted  in  a  narrow-necked  and  small  bottle  con- 
taining water,  and  these  little  bottles  are  fixed  firmly  along, 
so  that  the  bimches  hang  just  clear  of  each  other.  In  the 
first  instance  two  pretty  strong  uprights  are  erected, 
each  supported  on  three  legs.  Then  li-om  one  to  the  other 
of  these,  on  both  sides  alternately,  are  ndled  sets  of  strong 
laths,  two  for  each  line  of  bottles.  These  laths  are  kept  an 
inch  and  a  half  or  so  apart  by  a  piece  of  wood  at  each  end } 
in  the  inner  one  are  made  incisions,  into  which  the  bottom 


408      PRESERVING   GRAPES  THROUGH  THE  WINTER 

of  each  little  bottle  fits^  and  then  the  outer  lath  has  a  con- 
cave incision  in  which  the  side  of  the  bottle  rests^  so  that, 
caught  in  the  inner  and  leaning  firmly  on  the  outer  lath^  it 
holds  the  stem  and  stout  bunch  quite  firmly.  I  thus  par- 
ticularize it  from  having  seen  other  ways  of  doing  the  same 
thing  less  neatly  and  simply  than  this.  Walking  space  was 
left  between  the  walls  of  grapes ;  for  six  or  seven  rows  were 
arranged  one  above  another  on  both  sides  of  each  support. 

Charcoal  is  mixed  with  water^  allowed  to  stand  for  some 
time^  and  then  the  water  is  strained  off  to  fill  the  bottles. 
But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  to  put  a  pinch  of  animal 
charcoal  in  each  bottle  would  prove  a  better  plan  of  guarding 
the  water  from  any  impurity  from  the  sUght  deposit  of  or- 
ganic matter  that  might  be  expected ;  at  leasts  it  does  not 
seem  very  clear  how  charcoal  removed  from  the  water  before 
the  vine-stem  is  put  in  can  have  much  effect  in  keeping  it 
pure.  However^  this  is  not  an  important  matter^  and  it  is 
certain  that  a  pinch  of  animal  charcoal^  which  is  very  cheap, 
will  keep  the  water  quite  sweet.  One  cultivator  who  keeps 
grapes  on  a  large  scale  by  this  method^  never  uses  any  char- 
coal at  all^  but  simply  fills  his  little  bottles  almost  full  with 
water,  and  then  inserts  the  branches,  which  nearly  close  the 
necks  of  them.  He  appeared  quite  as  well  satisfied  with 
the  plan  as  those  who  had  taken  more  pains  to  keep  the 
water  sweet.  In  case  evaporation  should  cause  the  water 
in  the  bottles  to  fall  below  the  bases  of  the  shoots  it  is 
simply  necessary  to  add  a  little  more. 

Of  course  it  will  be  understood  in  a  moment  that  with 
one-tenth  the  amoimt  of  expense  and  trouble  that  is  now 
necessary  in  large  grape-growing  places,  we  may  in  a  grape- 
room  like  this  maintain  conditions  infinitely  better  calculated 
for  the  preservation  of  the  fruit  than  the  atmosphere  of  any 
vinery  can  possibly  be.  We  may  keep  the  fruit  dark,  pre- 
serve the  necessary  amount  of  drjmess  in  the  atmosphere, 
and  keep  up  a  temperature  constantly  equal — all  of  which 
are  essential  to  the  well-being  of  fruits,  and  none  of  which 
can  possibly  be  attained  in  the  house  in  which  the  grapes 
are  grown.  It  would  of  course  be  wise,  in  arranging  a  room 
of  the  sort,  to  have  hoUow  walls  and  other  contrivances  to 


WITHODT  LETHNO  THEM  HANG  ON  TUB  TIHE8.      409 

attain  the  conditions  nnder  which  fruit  is  known  to  keep 
best. 

M.  Rose-Charmeux,  the  great  grape  grower  of  Thomerjr, 
was,  I  believe,  the  first  to  try  this  plan.  Now,  as  we  grow 
hy  far  the  best  and  largest  quantity  of  hothouse  grapes  of 
any  country,  this  method  will  prove  of  far  more  use  to  its 
than  to  the  French.  I  was  told  by  experienced  French 
growers  who  have  adopted  the  system,  that  they  keep  the 
fruit  as  long  this  way  as  upon  the  vincj  with  fewer  mouldy 

Fio,  225. 


Interior  of  Grape-rooin  in  wiiijli  the  Sjitem  dceoribed  U  onrried  out. 

berries,  and  almost  without  trouble;  and  it  is  not  likely 
that  a  man  would  cut  down  half  a  dozen  houses  of  fine 
grapes  at  the  beginning  of  October  unless  he  had  already 
proved  it  to  be  a  good  system.  The  advantage  of  having 
all  the  stock  of  grapes  safely  housed  and  away  &om  the 
attacks  of  vermin  and  other  interlopers,  is  another  of  the 
many  presented  by  this  plan,  which  I  now  leave  in  the 
reader's  hands  for  trial,  confident  that  it  will  prove  a  great 
boon  to  the  grape  f^wer,  and  tend  to  make  that  Crait — 


410      PBESERYING   GRAPES   THROUGH   THE  WINTER 

every  day  growing  in  popularity — ^a  great  deal  more  enjoy- 
able and  obtainable  in  the  winter  and  early  spring  months. 
For  if  it  be  a  process  requiring  mucb  care  in  large  well-con- 
ducted gardens^  bow  much  more  difficult  must  it  be  for  the 
large  class  of  amateurs  and  small  gardeners  to  preserve  their 
firuit  in  good  condition  ?  In  places  where  the  stock  of  grapes 
is  not  sufficient  to  require  a  special  room  for  their  keeping, 
part  of  the  fruit  room  might  be  adopted^  or  even  a  dry 
cellar  or  store-room. 

The  above  was  written  previous  to  visiting  M.  Bose-Char- 
meux^  with  whom  the  system  originated.  I  have  since  seen 
his  grapes  stored  for  the  winter;  the  method  was  in  full 
working  order,  and  even  more  simple  and  effective  than  could 
have  been  supposed.  He  began  by  having  a  stove  and  a 
couple  of  chinmeys  to  try  to  regulate  the  atmosphere  of  his 
large  grape-room;  but  finding  that  the  grapes  keep  very 
much  better  without  this,  he  now  simply  devotes  to  his 
winter  stock  a  large  room  in  his  house,  fitting  it  up  in  all 
parts  to  accommodate  handily  the  little  bottles  before  spoken 
of,  padding  the  inside  of  the  windows  so  as  to  exclude  light, 
and  obviate,  as  far  as  possible,  changes  of  temperature.  The 
grapes  are  cut  in  October,  and  preserved  in  good  condition 
until  April,  when  his  earliest  are  ripe.  He  has  frequently 
shown  them  in  May,  and  even  later,  and  has  kept  them  till 
August ;  but  of  course  the  quality  cannot  be  expected  to  be 
good  after  such  very  long  keeping,  which  is  merely  done  for 
the  sake  of  show.  A  small  room  in  M.  Bose-Charmeux's 
house  illustrates  to  a  nicety  the  fact  that  a  similar  one  in 
most  houses  may  be  made  to  answer  the  purposes  of  keeping 
grapes.  It  has  no  windows,  and  scarcely  any  means  of  ven- 
tilation. The  house  is  heated  by  hot  air ;  but  while  there 
are  openings  in  the  fioor  of  the  passages  and  other  rooms 
to  admit  this,  there  are  none  in  this  little  room  in  which  the 
grapes  keep  perfectly.  Thus  it  ia  clear  that  the  ordinary 
dwelling  house  will  present  suitable  conditions  for  the  long 
preservation  of  grapes.  The  system  was  attractive  enough 
when  it  was  considered  necessary  to  construct  a  room  specially 
tQ  carry  it  out ;  it  is  much  more  so  now  when  it  has  been, 
proved  that  not  only  is  it  not  necessary  to  take  any  special 


WITHOUT  LETTING  THEM  HANG  ON  THE  VINES.      411 

means  to  warm  or  ventilate  the  structure^  but  that  the  grapes 
keep  much  better  without  that  trouble.  The  first  result  of 
the  method  was  a  gain  to  the  village  of  Thomery,  which 
is  almost  wholly  occupied  with  grape  culture,  of  from 
100,000  to  150,000  francs  per  annum.  The  system  enables 
the  cultivators  to  keep  their  grapes  much  later  than  of  old, 
and  thus  to  add  considerably  to  their  revenue. 

Since  the  above  was  written  this  system  has  been  tried 
and  favourably  reported  on  by  Mr.  Hill  of  Keele  Hall,  the 
famous  grape  grower,  and  by  other  practical  men.  Mr. 
Whittaker  of  Crewe  Hall  sent  some  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Horticultural  Society,  but  he  had  taken  unnecessary  trouble 
by  corking  and  sealing  the  bottles.  The  insertion  of  the 
shoot  into  a  bottle  of  water  is  all  that  is  required,  and  as 
the  bottles  used  are  little  more  than  wide  enough  at  the 
neck  to  admit  the  shoot,  the  evaporating  surface  exposed  is 
very  small.  It  was  urged  against  the  method  at  this  meet- 
ing that  the  grapes  ^^lose  their  sugar .^'  This  is  not  the 
case  unless  the  firuit  is  kept  a  very  long  time.  The  French 
in  carrying  out  their  experiments  have  kept  some  of  their 
grapes  as  long  as  they  could,  and  have  frequently  shown 
them  in  a  nice  plump  condition  long  after  they  ripen  their 
early  grapes — just  for  the  "  honour  of  the  thing/^  In  these 
instances  a  loss  of  sugar  was  no  doubt  perceptible ;  but 
what  kind  of  flavour  would  berries  possess  if  left  hanging  on 
the  vine  till  the  summer  months  when  the  Frenchmen  ex- 
hibited their  grapes  ?  The  necessity  for  keeping  the  grapes 
till  they  lose  their  sugar  does  not  exist.  In  most  of  our  large 
gardens  grapes  are  forced  early,  and  would  be  ripe  before  the 
fruit  of  the  previous  year  had  lost  its  virtues  in  the  least 
degree.  And  in  our  comparatively  small  gardens,  containing 
perhaps  a  vinery  or  two,  how  many  bunches  of  grapes  are 
left  after  the  consumption  of  the  winter  months  ?  To  be 
able  to  clear  the  vineries  of  grapes  for  two  months  before 
the  ordinary  time  would  be  a  decided  gain  to  thousands  of 
gardeners  in  this  country. 

^^  About  the  15th  of  April,^'  says  Mr.  Thompson,  ''  the 
sap  began  to  rise  in  the  vines,  and  some  of  the  berries  that 
were  a  little  shrivelled  suddenly  got  plump,  while  others 


412        THE  CULTURE  OP  THE  VINE  AT  THOMERr. 

that  had  shown  no  signs  of  shrivelliDg  burst  their  skins^ 
and  the  sap  of  the  vine  that  had  forced  itself  into  them 
began  to  drip  from  them  P'  Surely  even  in  such  a  case  as 
this  it  would  be  a  gain  to  the  grape  grower  to  cut  his  grapes 
a  few  weeks  before  any  danger  of  such  a  thing  existed,  and 
thereby  keep  them  a  little  longer  from  bursting  their  skins 
and  giving  forth  what  cannot  be  very  rich  in  sugar !  The 
expense  and  care  required  to  keep  grapes  during  the  dull 
and  cold  months  of  winter  in  the  ordinary  way  is  very  con- 
siderable, and  the  inconvenience  and  loss  of  space  are  great. 
The  latest  writers  among  grape  growers  recommend  the 
surfiEtce  of  the  '^interior  borders  to  be  kept  perfectly  dry 
and  to  remain  so  all  the  winter,  care  being  taken  that  as 
little  sweeping  or  raking  takes  place  as  possible,  for  by  this 
means  dust  is  raised  which  settles  on  the  bunches/'  Prac- 
tically speaking,  houses  treated  in  this  way  are  nearly  use- 
less for  anything  except  keeping  the  grapes,  consuming 
fuel,  and  wasting  labour.  Remove  the  necessity  of  keeping 
grapes  on  the  vines  long  after  they  are  thoroughly  ripe, 
and  the  houses  may  be  filled  at  a  season  when  every  inch  of 
the  room  in  vineries  is  wanted  for  storing  plants. 

The  Culture  of  the  Vine  at  Thomery. 

At  first  I  had  intended  to  say  nothing  whatever  about 
the  grapes  grown  against  walls  in  the  open  air,  but  further 
consideration  has  shown  me  that  the  cultiu*e  of  the 
grape  in  this  way  may  be  attempted  with  profit  over 
a  large  part  of  the  southern  and  midland  counties 
of  England,  and  therefore  an  account  is  given  of  the 
successful  and  highly  interesting  culture  of  the  Chasselas 
Grape  near  Paris,  where  it  most  be  grown  against 
walls  as  well  as  with  us.  Respecting  this  grape,  it 
may  be  well  to  notice  that  when  well  ripened  against 
walls  the  French  think  it  the  best  grape  ever  grown,  and 
superior  to  our  hothouse  grapes,  fine  as  they  look.  Here 
I  am  simply  stating  an  opinion  without  endorsing  it, 
merely  adding  that  this  estimate  is  not  solely  confined 
to  those  who  have  no  opportunity  of  judging  both  sides 


THIS  COLTDRB  OF  TBB  TINE  AT  THOUEKT. 


413 


of  the  question,  but  was  held  hj  the  late  Baron  Rothschild, 
who  grew  all  our  finest  grapes.  Grape  culture  is  oftea 
successful   against  houses  with  us  when  it  receives  mere 

chance  attention  from  cottagers  and  others.  By  selecting 
the  soil  and  position,  and  really  paying  some  attention  to 
protecting  and  cultivating  the  Vine,  we  may  grow  capital 
grapes  against  our  walla,  even  in  many  places  where  ground 
vineries  are  now  resorted  to.  Should  any  person  doubt 
the  possibility  of  cultivating  the  Cbasselas  and  others  of 
our  best  hardy  grapes  in  the  open  air,  I  have  merely  to 

Fio.  226. 


refer  him  to  the  horticultural  papers  for  the  autumn  of  1868. 
They  contain  abundant  evidence  that  even  with  the  rough 
treatment  grapes  now  receive  in  the  open  air,  it  is  qoite 
possible  to  grow  them  of  good  quality  on  walls.  Grapes 
are  already  grown  well  in  the  open  air  in  a  few  places — 
by  Mr.  Darkin,  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  for  example ;  and  by 
Mr.  Fenu,  in  the  Rectory  Garden  at  Woodstock ;  so  that 
there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  possibility  of  ripening  good 
grapes  over  a  considerable  portion  of  England  and  Ireland. 
It  is  necessary  to  observe  that  the  plan  is  only  recom- 
mended for  warm  soils  and  positionSj  for  gardens  not  having 


414        TBB  CULTURE  OF  THE  TIHB  AT  THOHBBT. 


mach  glass  &nd  yet  some  wall  space,  for  covering  cottages, 
ont-offices.  Sec.,  and  not  in  any  way  as  a  substitute  for  Vine 
cnltnre  indoors.  It  may,  nevertheless,  be  added  that  I 
have  never  yet  tasted  the  Chasselaa  de  Fontainebleaa  or 
Hoyal  Muscadine  nearly  so 
^■22'-  weU     flavoured     as     when 

grown  in  the  open  air,  and 
that  all  who  admire  this 
grape  would  do  well  to 
attempt  its  culture  on  warm 
walls.     The  culture  of  the 

Fia.  !28. 


•1  i  1  ;  1  "i  1  i  i  ;  1  / 

'  f    '1  - 

Mi//, 

''\ 

m 

4 

U  A\ 

//A 

i/\ 

\\ 

/  .x^ 

// 

// 

U  r 

Kn 

// 

\ 

/ 1 

\\ 

y 

^ 

( 

^- 

1 ;  1 1  i''i  1.; ..!.',  \\ 

A)// ,  U//) 

//\\ 

% 

//  ^\ 

1  .\\ 

(/I 

//,v 

tn 

/  \\  y  1 

W    / 

^^^^^--•^?^      .Vi— — J 

VineB  trained  Vertically  witL   alter- 
Bwe-Charmeax's    B^atem  of   Vertical       nalcil  ■purs,  wires  nine  inchea  apart 
TniciDg.    The  ViQea  aro  planted  at       on  wall;  Vines  about  tire n (f -eight 
lixtMn  mchei  apart.  inches  apart. 

Chasselas  de  Foutainebleau  at  Thomery  and  other  places  in 
Uie  vicinity  of  Paris  is  the  best  example  of  open  air  culture 
anywhere  to  be  found ;  and  this  variety,  more  generally 
known  in  England  as  the  Boyal  Muscadine,  is  also  far  the 
best  for  culture  in  the  open  air  in  this  country. 


THK   CCLTDEB   OF   THE  VINK   AT   THOMERT. 


An  account  ofthe  grape  g^wing  at  this  place  from  the  pen 

of  M.  Roee^Charmeux  is  likely  to  convey  the  most  practical 

information    on    the 

Buhject,  and  the  fol-  ^">-  229- 

lowing  is    translated 

from    his   "  Cultture 

de  Chasselas:" — 
"  At  Thomery  the 

soil  is  of  a  sandy  and 

clayey    nature,     and 

mixed  with   pebbles 

in  those  parts  which 

are   near  the   river. 

The   aoil    is    at    all 

times   easy  to  work. 

Near    the    Seiae    it 

lacks  depth — so  much 

so,   indeed,  that  be- 
fore cultivation  it  has 

to  be  dug  and  trenched  so  as  to  remove  some  of  the  stony 

subsoil.     Everywhere  else    the    layer   of  vegetable    mould 
meaaurea  from  four  feet 
^'°  230.  six  inches  to  sis  feet  in 

thickness.  This  layer 
lies  on  a  reddish  clay  of 
about  the  same  thickness, 
,  and  beneath  the  clay  is  a 
broken  -  up  stratum  of 
building  stone  filled  with 
fissures.  This  building 
stone  is  easily  extracted. 
The  grapes  ripen  a  fort- 
night earlier  in  the  flinty 
districts  than  in  those 
parts  in  which  the  soil 
is  deeper  and  richer. 
"The  gardens   at   Thomery,    taken   altogether,   present 

much    the     appearance    of    those    of    Montreuil-sur^Soia. 

There  is  nothing  but  walls  in  all  directions,  distant  firom 


416       THE   CULTURE  OF  THE  VINE   AT  THOMEBT. 


each  other  about  forty  feet^  and  ten  feet  high.  Thk 
height  has  only  obtained  during  the  last  fifteen  years^ 
before  which  period  they  were  rarely  higher  than  six 
or  seven  feet.  The  change  has  been  advantageous  for 
two  reasons ;  firsts  the  grape  growers  have  been  able  to 
increase  the  space  required  for  their  purpose  by  taking  pos- 
session of  a  larger  portion  of  air  instead  of  having  to  buy 
firesh  ground ;  and  secondly,  the  high  walls 
are  found  to  improve  the  appearance  and  ^®-  232. 
quality  of  the  grapes.  The  walls  are  built  of 
hard  stone  quarried  in  the  neighbourhood, 

Fig.  231. 


Salphor  Diutributor  employed  at  Thomery. 

the  stones  being  laid  with  mud  only.     The 

face  of  the  wall  is  then  covered  with  a 

mortar   made  of  lime   and  sand,   and    is       Prnning  to  obuin 
/•     11  J       'A-i      A\  X     •  1      ^*^®    *^o   arms   of 

finally   covered  with   the   same  material     the  Cordon. 
thinned  to  a  cream. 

"  Every  wall  is  topped  with  a  roof  of  pantiles,  surmounted 
by  a  row  of  gutter  tiles.  These  roofs  project  about  ten  inches, 
and  below  them  are  fixed  at  every  yard  iron  rods,,  inclined 
slightly  downwards.  These  supports  project  about  twenty 
inches  beyond  the  edge  of  the  tiles,  affording  altogether  a 
support  of  at  least  two  feet  six  inches  wide.  Upon  this  is 
fixed,  when  occasion  requires  it,  a  coping  of  bituminized  felt, 
or,  where  economy  is  necessary,  a  piece  of  thin  plank.    The 


THE   CDLTDSE  OF  THE   TINS   AT  THOHEET. 


417 


bituminized  felt  is  stretched  on  frames  of  irood,  about 
ten  feet  in  length  by  eighteen  inches  in  width,  the  felt 
being  fastened  to  them  by  means  of  small  nails.  These 
frames  are  chiefly  nsed  when  the  grapes  are  perfectly  ripe, 
which  is  genertjly  about  September  15,  or  when  there 
is  danger  of  the  fruit  being  spoilt  by  heavy  ridna.  Formerly, 
before  these  methods  of  shelter  were  employed,  large  quan- 
tities of  grapes  were  continually 
lost  through  becoming  rotten  with  ^"*-  *^*- 

the  wet ;  since  their  adoption, 
however,  there  is  no  fear  of  such  a 
result.  The  size  of  the  temporary 
copings  to  be  used  is  always  de- 

Fia.  333. 


pendent  onthe  aspect  and  height 
of  the  walls.  With  walls  facing 
the  south  and  ten  feet  high, 
frames  containing  felt  at  least 
thirty  inches  in  width  ought  to  be 
used.  With  a  western  aspect,  they 
ought  to  be  even  wider,  in  order  to  avoid  all  danger  from 
the  heavy  rains.  With  the  old  low  walls,  fr-amea  twenty- 
four  inches  wide  for  the  south,  twenty-eight  inches  for  the 
west,  and  sixteen  inches  for  the  east,  were  found  to  be  quite 
sufllcient." 

"After  selecting  a  proper  position  and  soil,  the  most 
important  point  is  the  sulphuring  to  prevent  the  Oidium. 


418       THK  CDLTOKB  Of  THB    VINE  AT  THOMERT. 

Sulphur  ia  the  effectaTe  core  for  this  pe«t,  and  it  should  be 
applied  directly  after  the  fint  piQchiag  of  the  Bhoots,  at  a 
temperature  helow  96°  Fshr.  in  the  open  air.  If  the  heat 
is  too  great,  the  young  skiu  of  the  grape  is  liable  to  become 
decomposed.  In  full  sunshine  at  noon  the  fruit  Tould  be 
burnt  up  in  an  hour's  time.  Sulphuring  may  be  carried 
on  while  the  dew  is  falling.  There  is  no  fear  in  this  case 
of  soiling  the  grapes.  The  operation  should  not  be  deferred 
until   the  Oidium  has  made  its  appearance.     The  second 


Muvuble  SvaffuU  lueil  for  thiauing  ihe  Grapea. 

sulphuring  should  be  performed  when  the  grapes  are  about  as 
large  as  a  pea,  or  even  earlier  if  the  Oidium  has  appeared  at  all. 
It  would  be  preferable  to  sulphur  while  the  vines  are  in  flower. 
The  operation  ia  performed  with  sublimated  sulphur,  blown 
apon  the  vine  with  a  pair  of  bellows  (Fig.  231)  specially 
contrived  for  the  purpose.  It  may  be  eflectively  done  with- 
out the  operator  standing  an  instant  in  one  spot,  but  passing 
quickly  along  the  line.  In  these  latitudes  heavy  rains 
destroy  in  part  the  effect  of  the  sulphur,  and  it  is  nearly 
always  necessary  to  repeat  the  operation  three  or  four  times. 


THK  CULTDRE  OF  THE  Vi:«B  AT  TBOWEET.       419 

If  tte  grapes  themselves  are  attacked,  it  ie  on  them  that  the 
flowers  of  sulphur  should  be  applied.  It  has  been  remarkecl 
that  under  sunshine  the  Oidium  may  be  totally  destn^ed  in 
one  hour,  a  result  that  may  be  attributed  to  the  speedier 
disengagement  of  sulphurous  acid  gas  by  the  heat  of  the  son, 
but  it  is  dangerous  to  apply  it  if  the  sun  is  too  strong." 

The  pruning  of  the  Tine  is  so  well  understood  in  Eogland 
that  it  is  needless  to  give  it  here  in  the  full  detail  with  which 
it  is  honoured  in  M  Rose-Charmeus's  book,  the  '-'Culture 
du  Chassclas."     Indeed,  after  having  translated  his  direc- 


<r  cinrinf;  sihbII  bu- 
keti  filled  with  Grapei  from 
the  vails  to  the  Btore-nwDu  : 
four  feet_  high  st  bai'k, 
thirtj-one  inches  wide,  and 
ten  inches  and  a  half  deep. 

tions  their  painful  and  unnecessary  minuteness  and  great 
length  have  obliged  me  to  omit  them.  The  system  as  shown 
in  Pigs.  227  and  228  is  simply  the  well  known  spur  pruning 
practised  in  nearly  every  English  vinery.  There  are  indeed 
several  modifications  of  training ;  but  this  as  everybody  knows 
is  of  no  real  importance.  In  this  case,  as  with  the  vine 
indoors,  the  selection  of  a  proper  medium  for  the  roots  is  of 
far  greater  importance  than  anything  else,  while  the 
simplest  form  and  the  best  system  of  pruning  are  without 
doubt  the  same  as  those  seen  in  our  vineries — an  erect 
si2 


420       THE  CULTDRB  OF  THB  VINB  AT  THOMEBT. 

stem  vith  the  side  sliooto  annually  immed  in.  At  Thomery 
the  vine  is  frequeatly  trained  as  a  horisontal  cordon  line 
over  line ;  but  to  eiecnte  this  form  well  requires  time  and 
■kill,  ^liich  only  culdvatorB  who  devote  themselves  specially 
to  it  can  afford,  and  it  may  be  safely  said  that  letting  the 
vines  ran  straight  up  the  vails  and  with  their  spurs  at  each 
side  is  better  than  any  less  simple  mode.     The  really  im- 


Mode  of  GraniDg  tli«      Mode  of  QraTting  tb«  Vino,  b;        Oonge      naed      in 
Tine  at  Tfaomerj.  approach,  prsatiud  at  Tho-  GiminK  tbe  Tine : 

merj.  ten  inches  long. 

portant  points  to  bear  in  mind  are — ^first,  the  warmer  the 
eiposure  is,  the  better  for  the  grape ;  second,  that  the  walls 
are  white,  or  nearly  so,  aa  the  vines 'get  more  heat  on  such 
walls  than  they  do  on  dark  ones,  and  are  maintained  in 
better  health ;  third,  that  wide  and  efficient  copings  are 
used  to  permit  the  fimit  to  thoroughly  ripen  in  autumn, 
and  prevent  its  being  spoiled  by  heavy  rains  j  and  that  the 


THE   CULTURE   OP  THE   VINE   AT  THOMBRY.       421 


higher  walls  are  found  to  possess  an  advantage  over  the 
lower  ones.  The  plants  are  frequently  raised  in  rough 
baskets  for  convenience  of  removal  and  sale.  Several  of  the 
appliances  here  in  use  are  sensible  ones^  which  might  be 
found  usefrd  in  other  ways  than  that  of  vine  cidture.  I 
allude  to  the  moveable  scaffold  to  facilitate  the  labours  of  the 
women  who  attend  to  the  walls  in  summer  (Pig.  235),  the 
shade  to  shield  them  from  the  sun  (Fig.  236),  and  the  frame 
for  conveying  a  number  of  small  baskets  laden  with  grapes 
from  the  walls  to  the  grape  room  (Fig.  237). 

Grafting  is  frequently  performed,  and  chiefly  to  replace  a 
bad  by  a  good  variety,  or  to  hasten  the  fructification  of  a  new 
one.     The  plant  is  cut  down 
to  within  nine  or  ten  inches  Fio.  241. 

of  the  soil,  and  with  the 
gouge  (Fig.  240)  an  incision 
is  made  on  the  smoothest  side, 
a  corresponding  cut  being 
made  in  a  scion  or  in  the 
stem  of  a  young  plant,  both 
of  which  methods  are  shown 
in  Figs.  238  and  239.  The 
grafting  is  performed  as  soon 
as  the  sap  begins  to  move  in 
spring,  and  the  grafts  are  tied 
and  covered  with  grafting  wax, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  239. 

A  particularly  noticeable  feature  in  the  cultivation,  is 
that  the  young  vines  are  as  a  rule  planted  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  wall — say  a  little  more  than  three  feet, 
and  the  stem  laid  into  the  ground  to  near  the  base  of 
the  wall.  Sometimes  the  stem  is  allowed  to  rise  some 
distance  from  the  wall,  and  in  the  following  year  when  it 
has  grown  a  little  it  is  again  lowered  and  taken  to  the  wall. 
This  method  is  obviously  pursued  to  secure  a  number  of 
vigorous  roots  spread  over  a  large  surface.  Where  the 
ground  is  stony  and  poor  it  is  probably  a  good  plan. 

As  regards  the  forcing  of  grapes  at  Thomery,  I  need 
hardly  say  there  is  little  to  note  of  any  importance   to 


Small  Pit  ased  for  Forcing  the 
Vine. 


422       THE   CULTUES   OF  THS  VINE   AT   THOMERT. 

the  British  grape  grower^  who  is  certainly  in  advance  of 
all  others  as  regards  the  indoor  culture  of  this  old  and  ever 
popular  fruit.  Nevertheless^  M.  Bose-Charmeux^s  garden 
exhibits  such  an  advance  on  the  ordinary  style  of  forcing 
grapes  around  Paris  that  it  deserves  a  few  words.  ^'  The 
walls  of  the  pits  are  of  brick;  the  highest^  towards  the 
norths  measures  about  five  feet  in  height;  the  front 
wall  being  only  about  two  feet  high.  The  width  of  the 
hothouse  at  its  base  between  the  walls  is  about  four 
feet  six  inches^  and  the  length  indefinite.  The  higher  wall 
is  covered  on  the  top  with  a  deal  board  a  foot  wide  and 

FiQ.  242. 


Smftll  spui-roofed  house  for  forcing  the  Vine  :  ten  feet  five  incLes  wide, 

and  five  feet  five  inches  high. 


projecting  towards  the  south ;  the  lower  wall  is  covered  in 
the  same  way  with  a  board  five  inches  wide.  The  walls 
ought  to  be  rough  cast^  and  kept  perfectly  white  like  those 
of  the  gardens.  Bars  of  iron  serve  as  supports  to  the  frames^ 
and  to  keep  the  walls  in  their  places  when  the  frames 
are  taken  away^  and  rods  provided  with  holes  are  placed 
in  the  middle  of  each  frame  so  that  they  may  be  opened  to 
different  heights  according  to  circumstances.  A  copper 
hotwater  pipe^  four  inches  in  diameter^  serves  to  warm  the 
structure^  and  an  entrance-door  is  constructed  at  each  end. 
Grape  forcing  begins  from  the  15th  to  the  25th  of  December^ 
in  order  to  have  ripe  fruit  by  the  end  of  April.     During 


THE  CULTURE  OF  THE   VINE   AT   THOMEBT.       423 

the  first  fortnight  the  heat  is  not  allowed  to  rise 
above  from  58°  F.  to  65°  F.  The  fortnight  after  it  is 
allowed  to  rise  to  78°  F.  or  80°  F.,  from  which  time  until 
the  grapes  are  ripe  the  heat  is  maintained  at  from  80°  F. 
to  88°  F.  The  time  of  flowering  requires  a  great  deal  of 
attention,  for  on  it  depends  entirely  the  success  of  the 
result.  In  order  that  fecundation  should  take  place  under 
the  most  favourable  circumstances,  and  that  the  grapes 
should  be  well  formed,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
temperature  should  be  maintained  between  78°  F.  and 
88°  F. ;  also  that  the  vine  should  have  plenty  of  light 
and  dry  air." 

^'  The  low  span-roofed  house  is  constructed  in  the  following 
manner : — On  the  east  and  west  are  built  two  small  brick 
walls  twenty-eight  inches  high,  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
enclosed  space  are  placed  strong  posts  about  five  feet  high, 
and  distant  from  each  other  about  three  feet.  A  plank 
fourteen  inches  wide,  nailed  on  the  top  of  these  posts,  ties 
them  together  solidly  and  forms  a  sort  of  coping.  This 
plank  is  covered  with  sheet  zinc,  and  bars  of  iron  are  carried 
from  it  to  the  walls  serving  as  supports  to  the  lights.  At 
each  end  a  door  is  constructed  for  the  attendants  to  go  in 
and  out,  and  on  each  side  is  a  thermometer  for  regulating 
the  temperature.  The  interior  of  the  hothouse  is  about 
ten  feet  wide  at  the  base,  so  that  the  rows  of  vines  are 
distant  from  the  side  walls  about  eighteen  or  twenty  inches, 
and  one  side  gets  the  efiect  of  the  sun  in  the  morning, 
the  other  in  the  afternoon.  Two  rows  of  pulleys  are  at- 
tached to  the  wooden  coping  for  working  the  straw  mats, 
which  ought  to  be  taken  oflF  every  morning  and  replaced  in 
the  evening.^^ 

Thus  M.  Rose-Charmeux  speaks  of  his  forced  culture  of 
the  vine.  In  addition  to  the  houses  here  figured  and  al- 
luded to  he  employs  a  well  constructed  portable  lean-to 
house — ^portable  because  the  French  yet  believe  in  the 
virtue  of  the  plan  of  alternately  forcing  and  resting  their 
trees,  a  system  which  we  have  long  ago  proved  to  be 
worthless. 


424 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THV  IMFBEIAL  FBUIT  AND  FOBCING  OABDBN8  AT  YEBSAILLES. 
•^-THE  NSW  FBUIT  OABDEN  OF  THE  CITT  OF  PABIS  IN  THE 
BOIS  DE  VINCENNE8. 

The  imperial  fruit  and  forcing  gardens  at  Versailles  form  a 
large  establishment^  not  so  costly  nor  nearly  so  fine  as 
Frogmore^  but  containing  a  few  things  noyel  and  instructive 
to  the  English  visitor.  Generally  the  crops  do  not  display 
the  high  cultivation  nor  the  surface  the  rapid  rotation  to  be 
seen  in  the  market  gardens  roimd  Paris^  but  in  the  culture 
of  hardy  fruits  there  is  something  to  admire.  It  is  a  forcings 
culinary^  and  fruit  garden  solely,  therefore  there  are  few 
pot  plants  to  be  seen,  the  houses  being  nearly  all  devoted  to 
the  pine- apple.  Some  years  ago  the  culture  of  this  fruit 
was  considered  by  some  of  our  gardening  authorities  to  be 
better  understood  in  France  than  in  England ;  but  though 
very  fine  pines  are  grown  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris, 
our  pine  growers  are  on  the  whole  the  best.  Such  growers 
of  the  pine-apple  as  Mr.  James  Barnes  of  Bicton,  Mr. 
David  Thompson,  Mr.  Rose  at  Frogmore,  and  many  other 
English  gardeners,  afford  us  the  best  example  of  how  to 
produce  it  in  the  highest  degree  of  perfection.  The  forcing 
department  is  usually  well-ordered  and  neat  so  far  as  the 
more  permanent  houses  go.  In  them  the  back  walls  may 
be  seen  very  prettily  covered  with  the  two  well-known 
Vincas,  alba  and  rossea.  To  cover  the  walls  of  all  kinds  of 
glass-houses  devoted  to  ornamental  purposes  is  an  object 
with  most  people  who  possess  such  things.  It  is  very  rarely 
well  accomplished,  mostly  from  using  a  bad  selection  of 
vigorous  growing  plants,  which  often  get  covered  with  insect 
filthy  and  become  a  capital  breeding  place  for  it,  or  perhaps 
never  yield  flowers.     K  anybody  possessing  a  stove^  pine- 


THE  IMPEEIAL   FRUIT  AND   FORCING   GARDENS.      425 

hoTise^  or  intermediate  house^  or  any  other  warm  structure 
with  a  back  walk  and  a  border  against  it^  will  plant  in  it 
and  train  against  the  wall  the  two  pretty  subjects  named 
above,  plant  for  plant,  the  result  will  prove  strikingly 
pretty.  The  plants  are  always  glossy  and  full  of  flower, 
may  be  kept  at  two  feet  or  allowed  to  grow  six  feet  high, 
and  are  always  free  from  insects  or  vermin  of  any 
kind.  They  keep  neatly  to  the  wall  with  but  little  trouble, 
and  bloom  all  over  the  surface,  top  as  well  as  bottom. 
They  are  in  this  state  very  useful  for  cutting,  and  the  efiect, 
when  you  enter  the  house,  is  of  the  most  pleasing  kind. 
Their  culture  in  this  way  is  far  more  satisfactory  than  in  pots, 
and  in  almost  every  warm  stove  or  forcing  house  in  Prance 
you  see  them  trained  against  the  back  walls.  The  system 
of  forcing  grapes  and  early  vegetables  in  very  small  rough 
frames  is  extensively  practised  here. 

The  fruit  growing  department  is  undergoing  a  gradual 
and  complete  alteration,  especially  as  regards  the  choicer 
Pears  trained  as  espaliers.  So  satisfactory  is  the  system 
adopted,  that  I  am  certain  if  English  cultivators  gene- 
rally could  get  an  idea  of  its  excellence  it  would  lead  to  a 
revolution  in  our  fruit  culture,  and  a  great  improvement  in 
the  appearance  of  our  gardens.  I  know  of  no  way  whereby 
we  may  so  highly  improve  the  garden  culture  of  the  Pear 
than  by  paying  more  attention  to  it  as  an  espalier  tree.  This 
is  also  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  best  fruit  growers  in 
Britain,  who  agree  that  there  is  no  finer  fruit  than  that 
gathered  from  well-managed  espalier  trees.  It  is  well 
known  that  some  pears  lose  quality  by  being  grown  against 
walls.  It  is  equally  certain  that  a  fuller  degree  of  sun  and 
exposure  than  the  shoots  and  fruit  get  on  a  pyramidal  tree  is 
very  desirable  in  many  parts  of  this  country,  especially  for 
particular  kinds.  Many  sorts  grow  beautifully  as  pyramids  ; 
others,  to  be  had  in  perfection,  must  be  grown  upon  walls ; 
but  by  means  of  the  improved  espalier  system  the  majority 
of  the  finer  kinds  may  be  grown  to  the  highest  excellence. 
If  the  French  can  teach  us  nothing  else  they  can  certainly 
give  us  a  lesson  as  to  the  improvement  in  appearance, 
cheapness,  and  utility   of  the   espalier  mode  of  growing 


426  THE   IMPERIAL   FRUIT   AND 

fruit,    especially   as   regards   the   finer   yarieties   of   Pear 
trees. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  good  opinion  of  espalier 
trees  given  by  British  cultivators  has  been  won  by  them  under 
great  disadvantages,  for  nothing  can  be  uglier  or  more  ineffi- 
cient than  the  usual  mode  of  supporting  and  training  espaliers 
in  our  gardens.  It  is  generally  so  costly  and  disagreeable  to 
the  eye,  that  it  has  been  done  away  with  for  these  reasons 
alone  in  many  gardens.  I  know  some  important  ones  near 
London,  and  indeed  in  many  parts  of  Britain,  where  the 
espalier  support  is  the  most  unworkmanlike  and  discredit- 
able afiair  to  be  seen  in  the  place.  Great  rough  uprights 
of  wood,  which  soon  rot  and  wabble  out  of  position,  thick 
and  costly  bolt-like  wire,  cumbrous  and  expensive  construc- 
tion, and,  in  a  word,  so  many  disadvantages  as  would  suffice 
to  prevent  the  prudent  cultivator  from  attempting  anything 
of  the  kind.  The  form  of  tree  used,  too,  is  such  that  the 
lower  branches  become  impoverished, and  often  nearly  useless. 

To  support  his  espalier  fruit  trees  the  Emperor's  gar- 
dener, M.  Hardy,  has  largely  adopted  a  system  which  is  at 
once  cheap,  neat,  and  almost  everlasting.  Instead  of  em- 
ploying ugly  and  perishable  wooden  supports  he  erects  up- 
rights of  T-iron,  and  connects  these  with  slender  galvanized 
wire.  These  are  tightened  with  the  little  raidisseurs  before 
alluded  to,  and  then  there  is  an  end  of  all  trouble.  He 
manages  to  erect  this  trellising  nine  feet  high  for  less 
than  a  shilling  a  yard  nm;  but  it  could  not  be  done 
so  cheaply  in  smaller  quantities.  Then,  instead  of  adopt- 
ing the  common  form  of  espalier  tree,  with  horizontal 
branches,  he  more  frequently  uses  trees  of  which  each 
branch  ascends  towards  the  top  of  the  trellis,  and  thus 
secures  an  equable  flow  of  sap  through  the  tree.  The 
accompanying  figure  (243)  will  give  a  better  idea  of  both 
trellis  and  tree  than  any  description.  There  is  no  more 
important  matter  connected  with  our  fruit  culture  than  this 
very  point,  and  therefore  I  should  be  much  obliged  to  all 
my  readers,  both  amateur  and  professional,  if  they  will  give 
the  subject  attention,  as  I  am  sure  that  by  doing  so  they 
will  be  led  to  largely  adopt  it,  and  much  improve  their  fruit 


FORCINO    GARDENS    AT   VKRSAILLZS. 


427 


culture.  The  fineet  stores  of  pears  I  liave  ever  seen  were  in 
gardens  with  a  good  leagtb  of  tree  trained  in  this  maimer ; 
and  I  kQOff  few  places  in  France  where  the  espalier 
system  is  so  extensively  and  so  well  carried  out  as  here. 
The  form  here  represented  is  much  better  than  the  cch^od 
or  single-branched  Pear  tree,  because  a  more  free  and 
natural  development  is  allowed  to  'the  tree,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  trellis  is  covered  quickly,  and  a  considerable  variety 


Fia.  313. 


Trellia  for  Pear  Trees  :  ten  feet  high.  Uprighta  and  Kafii  of  T-imn,  horizonUJ 
lines  slender  gatvanized  wire ;  Tertlcul  liaea,  pine-vood  half  an  iucb  (qoarB 
and  paint«d  greea :  to  these  the  aaceadiog  branches  are  traioeil. 

of  fruit  may  be  obtained  from  a  small  space.  It  is  very 
extensively  adopted  by  M.  Hardy,  upon  walls  as  well  as  on 
the  neat  and  elegant  trellis,  of  which  he  has  constructed  so 
much.  Of  course  the  Palmette  Verrier,  the  fan,  or  any 
other  form,  may  be  trained  on  these  trellises,  but  decidedly 
the  best  are  such  as  combine  the  advantages  of  quick 
covering  and  early  productiveness  claimed  for  the  cordon, 
and  the  fuller  development  and  more  pleasing  appearance 


428  THE  IMPERIAL  FEUIT  AND 

of  the  larger  forms.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
planting  erect  cordons  close  together^  as  they  must  be 
planted^  inyolves  a  great  expense  which  is  avoided  by 
using  trees  of  a  fuller  development.  It  takes  a  good  many 
years  to  form  the  large  style  of  tree  usually  adopted^ 
and  therefore  I  advise  the  general  planting  of  these  inter- 
mediate forms. 

Nothing  can  be  neater  alongside  garden  walks  than  lines 
such  as  these  trained  on  the  trelUs  alluded  to.  There  is 
no  shaking  about  of  rough  irons  or  wooden  beams^  no 
falling  down  or  loosening  of  the  wires ;  the  fruit  is  firmly 
attached  and  safe  from  gales^  the  wood  is  fully  exposed^ 
and  the  trellis  when  well  covered  forms  an  elegant  dividing 
line  in  a  garden.  The  best  way  to  place  them  is  at  from 
three  to  six  feet  from  the  edge  of  the  walk^  and  if  in  the 
space  between  the  espalier  and  the  walk  a  line  of  the  cor- 
dons elsewhere  recommended  be  established^  the  efiect  and 
result  will  prove  very  good  indeed  In  some  cases  where 
large  quantities  of  fruit  are  required^  it  may  be  desirable  to 
run  them  across  the  squares  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  or 
eighteen  feet  apart.  The  principle  is  quite  simple^  the  proof 
of  which  is  that  the  trellises  at  Versailles  were  erected 
by  the  garden  workmen.  M.  Hardy,  the  head  gardener  at 
Versailles,  is  the  son  of  the  celebrated  writer  on  fruit  trees 
of  that  name,  and  has  had  much  experience  in  fruit  growing. 
"  These  trellises,''  says  he,  ''  are  the  cheapest  as  well  as  the 
most  ornamental  that  we  have  yet  succeeded  in  making, 
and  the  trees  which  I  plant  against  them  are  of  the  form 
that  I  prefer  to  all  others,  for  promptly  furnishing  walls 
and  trellises,  and  for  yielding  a  great  number  of  varieties  in 
a  comparatively  restricted  space/'  The  mode  of  employing 
the  uprights  of  pine  wood  painted  green  and  reaching  from 
the  top  of  the  trellis  to  within  six  inches  of  the  ground,  is 
not  a  common  one,  though  very  desirable  where  the  erect 
way  of  training  the  shoots  is  practised.  The  reader  will 
readily  perceive  that  this  system  combines  the  advantages  of 
the  cordon  and  the  large  tree.  Of  course  many  other 
forms,  or  any  form,  may  be  used  with  this  system  of  trel- 
lising,  with  slight  modifications  to  suit  difierent  kinds  of 


FOBCINO  GAEDBKB  AT  VERSAILLES. 


429 


trees  or  different  forma.  The  double  trellis  shown  Is  simply 
a  modification  of  the  preceding,  and  is  not  only  desirable 
where  space  is  limited,  but  also  for  its  economy,  for  one  set  of 
uprights  supports  the  two  sets  of  wires  simply  by  using  cron 


bits  of  iron  about  eighteen  inches  long,  and  at  the  desired 
distance  apart.  However,  the  eagraving  (fig.  244)  shows 
this  at  a  glance. 

The  Pear  as  a  low  cordon  is  found  to  succeed  very  badly, 
and  to  plant  it  as  an  oblique  cordon  at  fifteen  or  eighteen 


430  THE   IMPERIAL   FRUIT   AND 

inches  apart  is  considered  mnch  too  close  and  very  nnwise. 
A  wliite  wall  fourteen  feet  high  covered  with  Easter  Beurr^ 
Pban  was  very  fine  indeed.  The  trees  were  mostly  on  the 
Quince  stocky  a  few  on  the  Pear^  but  all  bore  equally  well. 
They  were  all  trained  in  the  five-branched  form  usually 
adopted  here,  and  had  almost  covered  the  tall  white  wall. 
The  fruit-growing  foreman  insisted  very  strongly  on  the 
necessity  of  having  white  walls  for  fruit  trees,  and  stated 
that  dark  ones  injured  both  fruit  and  leaves,  while  white 
ones  benefited  both.  White  walls,  apparently  well  lime- 
washed  every  year,  are  to  be  found  in  every  good  establish- 
ment, whether  for  peach,  grape,  or  other  wall  fruit 
culture.  The  Easter  Beurr^  may  be  seen  here  double- worked 
on  the  Cure.  On  one  wall  the  trees  are  established  and  in 
good  bearing ;  on  another  they  had  been  budded  last  year 
only.  The  Cur^  is  first  grafted  on  the  Quince  and  allowed 
to  form  five  vertical  branches  before  it  is  budded.  The 
Easter  Beurr^  is  found  to  do  best  when  double-grafted, 
though  the  trees  directly  on  the  Quince  and  Pear  seemed  to 
do  well.  The  naked  parts  of  the  stems  of  firdt  trees  in  this 
garden  were  in  many  cases  protected  from  injury  from  a 
strong  sun  by  being  neatly  covered  with  straight  straw, 
tied  with  willow  twigs.  Neatly  done,  it  seemed  better 
than  the  commoner  plan  of  placing  slates  or  boards  before 
them.  Brackets  to  support  straw  mats  in  spring  are  placed 
on  every  wall  at  a  little  more  than  a  yard  apart. 

There  are  a  great  many  old  and  worn-out  trees  in  the 
garden  which  have  a  bad  efiect  on  its  appearance  here  and 
there,  but  the  gradual  adoption  of  the  new  trellises  will 
much  improve  matters.  The  Pear  makes  as  strong  a  growth 
here  as  I  have  ever  seen  it  make  in  Britain,  though  some 
of  our  growers  are  continually  saying  that  quite  a  different 
and  very  much  more  fruitfril  kind  of  wood  is  formed  in  the 
fine  climate  of  Prance.  There  are  a  few  specimens  of 
forming  letters  with  trees  to  be  seen  here,  as  in  many  other 
French  gardens. 

When  I  last  visited  this  garden  M.  Hardy  had  commenced 
carrying  out  a  system  of  protecting  his  espalier  trees.  The 
plan  is  simply  to  strain  lines  of  galvanized  wire  above  the 

t 


FORCING   GAEDSNS   AT  VERSAILLES.  4S1 

top  of  the  espalier^  so  as  to  form  a  low  span  when  covered 
with  rough  canvas.     The  sides  are  not  covered,  but  the 
protection  at  the  top  is  suflScient  to  prevent 
radiation,  and  to  throw  off  heavy  rains  when         ^><*-  2*5. 
the  trees  are  in  bloom.     If  there  is  a  wall 


running  at  right  angles   with   the  lines  of     '       # 
espaliers,  wires  are  stretched  from  it  so  as  ^ 

to  form  a  light  support  over  each  espalier ;  gection  of  protec- 
if  not,  a  post  is  driven  in  so  as  to  support      *»o^  "^ol^ ' 
and  stretch  the  wire  in  the  firmest  way.  The      Vereaaics. 
lower  of  these  two  lines  ^;^^^  may  be  sup- 
posed to  represent  the  top  of  the  espalier,  the  upper  a  line 
firmly  supported  at  a  few  inches  above  it.     Wires  are  also 
stretched  at  each  side  of  this,  at  about  twenty  inches  from  it,  so 
as  to  form  the  outline  of  a  very  low  span-roof  of  strained  wire. 
It  is  a  matter  of  little  difficulty  to  stretch  cheap  canvas  of  some 
kind  over  these  wires,  letting  it  be  an  inch  or  two  narrower 
than  the  breadth  between  the  outer  wires,  so  that  it  may  be 
strained  tight,  say  a  yard  for  the  canvas,  and  two  inches  more 
for  the  wires.     The  outer  margins  must  of  course  be  firmly 
threaded  to  the  outer  wires  with  twine  or  any  convenient 
tying  or  rough  sewing   material.     Here   they  simply  use 

the    stems    of  the  glaucous  or  Hard 
Fio.  246.  Rush  (Juncus   glaucus),  which   grows 

wild  all  over  Britain,  and  find  it 
answer  admirably.  A  neat  ridge  is 
then  arranged  over  each  line  of  espa- 
liers, which  throws  off  the  rain  and  pre- 
^.,    .      ,  vents   radiation,    thereby    saving   the 

Side  view  of  prutection  to,,  ^         r      i.        j*- 

double  line  of  Espaliers,    bloom  trom  trost  and  msunng  a  crop. 

The  protection  is  put  up  before  the 
buds  are  liable  to  be  injured,  and  removed  when  the 
fruit  is  set,  and  all  danger  has  passed  away.  Thus  a 
very  cheap  and  effective  protection  is  secured.  The  old 
trellising  used  for  fruit  growing  in  these  gardens  is 
inferior  compared  to  the  new.  The  kinds  of  pears  mostly 
grown  here  are  Easter  Beurre,  by  which  several  walls 
are  covered ;  Duchesse  d'AngoulSme,  of  which  there 
is  a  square  of  trellising  in  all  nearly  600  yards  long,  and 


432      THE   IMPERIAL   FEUIT  AND   ifORCINQ  GARDENS. 


about  nine  feet  high ;  Benrr^  Diel^  and  Louise  Bonne 
d'ATranches. 

The  Peach  is  well-grown  and  trained  in  some  parts  of  the 
garden,  a  form  with  five  main  branches  being  adopted  with 
success.  It  is  analogous  to  the  form  used  for  the  pear  in 
the  8ame  garden,  and  is  very  readily  made. 

In  addition  to  the  trellises  above  described,  the  most  re- 
markable feature  of  this  garden  is  the  presence  of  a  vast 
number  of  horizontal  cordon  Apple  trees,  both  in  single 
lines  and  in  superimposed  ones  of  two  or  three  stages,  all 
on  galvanized  wire.  The  trees  are  on  the  Paradise  stock, 
and  nearly  always  confined  to  a  single  stem.     These  trees 

Fio  247. 


Border  of  Superimposed  Gordons  at  Versailles. 

bore  an  enormous  crop  during  the  year  1868,  but  the  fine 
apples  were  nearly  all  destroyed  by  the  worm.  At  the  end 
of  September,  the  display  of  fruit  was  quite  remark- 
able, although  much  had  fallen  before  that  period,  and  the 
year  had  been  too  hot  for  the  perfect  development  of  the 
Apple.  One  border  devoted  to  cordons  is  300  metres 
(984  feet)  long,  and  altogether  there  is  4000  metres  of 
cordon  apples  in  the  garden.  As  the  greater  portion  of  this 
length  is  composed  of  two  and  three  lines  of  wires  placed  at 
distances  of  a  foot  one  above  the  other,  there  is  really  quite 
8000  metres,  or  more  than  five  miles  of  horizontal  (or 
French)  cordon  Apple  trees  on  the  true  Paradise  stock,  and 


THE  NEW   FRUIT   GARDEN    OF   PARIS. 


433 


Fio.  248. 


the  plantations  are  being  extended  as  often  as  circumstances 
will  permit.    It  should  be  observed  that  though  the  cordons 
are  often  grown  in  lines  one  above  the  other,  one  plant  does 
not  furnish  more  than 
one  line  except  at  the 
ends.     There,  however, 
it  is  necessary  to  take 
several    branches   from 
one      plant      to      fur- 
nish the  two  or  three 
lines    of  wire   starting 
from    the    same    post. 
Here,  as  in  many  other 
gardens    superintended 

by  experienced  fruit  growers,  this  mode  of  Apple  growing 
is  preferred  to  any  other,  but  the  enormous  number 
planted  best  speaks  of  the  estimation  in  which  it  is  held. 
The  cordons,  though  generally  well-managed,  are  not  quite 
so  good  as  I  have  seen  them  elsewhere,  and  apparently 
from  being  too  closely  confined  to  the  main  stem.  I  have 
always  noticed  them  best  and  most  satisfactory  when  allowed 
to  form  a  free  and  regular  bush  of  spurs  along  the  stem. 
The  soil  is  as  cold,  stiflf,  and  disagreeable  for  fruit  culture 
as  could  well  be  devoted  to  that  purpose. 


Section  of  preceding. 


The  new  Fruit  Garden  of  the  City  of  Paris  in  the 

Bois  de  Vincennes. 

Not  long  since  it  was  determined  to  make  a  new  school 
of  fruit  culture  for  Paris,  and  in  the  spring  of  1868 
the  first  trees  were  planted.  Naturally  there  is  but  very 
little  to  be  seen  as  yet ;  but,  nevertheless,  a  description  of 
it  can  scarcely  fail  to  be  of  use.  As  to  plan  and  arrange- 
ment it  is  almost  identical  with  that  given  overleaf,  and 
recommended  by  M.  Du  Breuil  for  the  north  of  France.  It 
is  situated  near  the  Avenue  Daumesnil  entrance  to  the 
Bois  de  Vincennes.  The  first  thing  remarkable  about  the 
new  garden  is  its  walls ;  they  are  of  felt,  supported  on  a  rough 
wooden  framework.     The  felt  is  first  nailed  on  frames  of 

p  p 


434      THE   NEW   Fsmi  GARDEN  OF   TBS   CITI   OF   PARIS 


Fio.  249. 


r     :  'o r:  ^ . 

•^  .  _  .  .  ^ 

1 

r     r 

4                    k 

Ml 

a.      *■ ,  _ 

—J  D  '         *D 

o  |:..  !:. 

"f 

-^  ; 

• 

J  4 

\r 

'  ■ 

i|  It 
1    J  ^ 

l| 

r*    r>' 

^oj 

""-  i"  i  r 

"^     ^ 

■    » 

"    •    I*- 

-     1 

'1  ! 

iW 

I    J  :  - 

1    '    •(    h 
^    ....^    K 

__^ _^ J^ 

*"  *"  ^  ' 

^  1 

F- . 

]  -I 

'  ,.   i,,_ 

„, 

,__( 

B.Ctel<ni.  C,I>ODbte«pdl«lbTBpri«iti.  D. WcitildsoriralliplintcdwIUiabUiiaBeardoa 
pnr  trH*,  U  kneb«  ftit.  E,  OooH&errica.  F,  Eut  rirle  oFwiai.  plaot«l  with  pMch  («■  u 
•lapla  oordou,  If  IncfflM  *p*it.  Q,  Cbmit*  h  obliqaB  sonloiu,  18  Inchct  ijiut.  H,  Plwa 
tni*,  tnioBl  in  lllH  nuDHr.  I.  Uedn.  J,  Sunimer  pnn.  H  Tsrtial  oordoai  w  (ap^lcR. 
K,BHpli«rrlai,nltlnUMl*tt)Mfi>>lc>rih*will.  M, Will oT tIdo.  Tb* bardm in ininwDdiKl 
braeordoDoripplH,  plinltdThetuiut,  and  11  liKbMwItbiDilieinirglnartha  border.  Tbe 
UKk  llwH  Umw  Uu  nlli,  ■nd  N  Ukd  O  wlia  itratchad  from  Uu  waUj  M  oipport  Um  «ii*U*r . 


IN   THE   BOIS  DE  VINCENNEB.  435 

wood  about  six  feet  long  by  four  feet  wide,  which  are 
dropped  into  a  groove  made  in  the  uprights,  the  stronger 
framework  being  based  upon  a  few  inches  of  masonry ;  the 
felt  is  whitened  over,  and  the  whole  surmounted  by  a  little 
ridge-like  coping.  This  peculiar  form  of  wall  was  erected 
in  consequence  of  the  objection  of  the  authorities  to  have 
any  walls  of  solid  materials  in  the  neighbourhood,  which  is 
so  near  the  fort :  but  this  merely  helped  to  prove  that  in 
cold  northern  countries  we  may  hope  to  grow  good  fruit 
by  means  of  something  less  expensive  than  well-niade  brick 
walls.  These  walls  are  about  nine  feet  high,  except  at  the 
north  end,  where  they  are  more  than  twelve  feet  high. 

The  garden,  which  is  not  a  yard  larger  than  is  necessary 
for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  devoted,  is  in  two  divisions — 
one  to  illustrate  the  practical  and  profitable  culture  of  fruit  for 
market,  the  other  all  the  important  modes  of  fruit  culture, 
the  various  curious  and  useful  forms  of  wall  and  standard 
trees,  and,  in  a  word,  most  things  necessary  to  know  con- 
cerning the  subject.  The  division  devoted  to  illustrate  the 
mode  of  culture  best  calculated  to  afford  a  quick  and  certain 
return  is  planted  almost  entirely  with  the  finest  of  all  winter 
Pears,  Easter  Beurr^,  and  that  well-known  Apple  the 
Calville  Blanc,  one  of  the  best  of  all  Apples  for  either  dessert 
or  culinary  uses.  The  Pears  are  all  cordons,  either  planted 
against  walls  or  espaUers,  and  the  Apples  are  all  the  low 
horizontal  cordon,  the  form  I  have  so  often  recommended. 
The  most  valuable  and  excellent  fruits  are  the  only  ones 
cultivated.  Most  of  the  cordons  against  the  walk  are 
oblique  (thus,  ////), except  at  the  high  end  wall,  where 
they  are  vertical.  The  Professor's  reason  for  adopting  this 
form,  is  that  the  walls  are  more  readily  covered  by  it,  and 
a  much  quicker  return  obtained ;  and  of  course  he  thinks 
these  advantages  compensate  for  the  expense  of  planting  so 
closely,  or  any  other  objection  that  may  be  urged  against 
the  system.  Between  three  and  four  thousand  trees  of 
Easter  Beurr€,  and  the  same  number  of  Calville  Blanc,  are 
planted  here  in  this  small  garden.  The  trees  have  done 
very  poorly  indeed,  having  been  planted  too  late,  and  it  is 
to  be  feared  many  of  them  will  die^  so  that  much  in  the 

F  f2 


436      THB  NEW  FRUIT  QABDEN   OF  THE  CITT  Of  PABI8 

fray  of  healthy  and  fertile  specimens  will  not  he  seen  for 
some  yean. 

One  thing  cannot  fail  to  strike  the  British  visitor  who 
takes  an  intenst  in  fruit  growing,  and  to  give  him  a  valu- 
able lesson  at  the  same  time ;  precautions  to  protect  the 
trees  eSectually  from  wet  and  frost  are  taken,  which  are 
never  seen  or  thought  of  in  British  gardens.  All  round 
the  walls  iron  brackets  project  from  immediately  beneath 
the  permanent  wooden  coping,  to  receive  wide  copings  made 
of  felt  nailed  on  a  cheap  wooden  framework,  in  lengths 
about  six  feet  long  and  over  two  wide.  These  are  slipped  in 
under  the  short  permanent  coping,  and  rest  on  the  bracket, 
tiie  hooked  point  of  which  holds 
Fio.  !60.  them  in  position.     A  smalt  eye 

is  at  the  under  side  of  each,  so 
as  to  thoroughly  fix  the  coping 
by  attaching  each  length  with 
a  piece  of  wire  to  another  eye 
near  the  upper  portion  of  the 
wall.  Thus  a  most  effective  and 
excellent  protection  is  afforded 
the  deUcate  blossoms  and  fruit 
OalTumed  iron  bncket,  mora  tlun    ■  _         ■  rnt.  -      -  ■     j.   •■ 

two  fMt  wida,  for  mpporting  s  10  sprmg.     This  IB  against  the 
Kmporarj  coping  of  bituminiied  walls,   where    the    British   cnl- 

folt.     A  wire   pSKMB  through  "t    ,.      ^  •         ii         i   i_ 

A  for  ropporting  cnrtiiiu.  whero  tivator     occasionally    takes     a 

theie  sra  uec«.Mr;.  yttlg      trouble      to     protect      his 

trees  from  the  cold  rains  and 
frosts  of  the  budding  and  flowering  season.  Equal  care  is 
taken  to  protect  the  espalier  trees — a  thing  which  has  never 
yet  been  attempted  by  British  fruit  growers,  who,  however, 
are  not  slow  to  contrast  the  difficulties  they  have  to  contend 
against  with  those  of  the  French,  for  whom  of  course  the 
climate  is  said  to  do  everything.  The  protection  for  the 
espaliers  is  afforded  by  iron  rods  projecting  from  the  top  of 
the  pine  posts  that  are  used  to  support  the  double  espa- 
liers, and  running  through  them  are  six  lines  of  galvanized 
wire,  forming  a  sort  of  span  over  the  trees.  A  little  above 
these  wires  runs  a  stronger  one,  connecting  the  posts 
beneath  it,  and  resting  on  the  tower  wires  are  two  lines  of 


IH  THB  BOIS  DB  TINCENNS8.  437 

neat  thin  tames  of  straw,  eaclt  at  least  a  yard  wide.  These 
are  firmly  fixed  down  to  the  wires,  so  that  in  spring  the 
trees  are  placed  under  what  may  be  called  a  neatly-thatched 


Vmit  tree  in  tbe  Vate  fono, — one  of  manj  fonni  more  cnrioi 
A,  Stake  ;  B,  B,  CroHed  sticks  to  saswn  hoop  in  positioi 
le  of  this  kind,  eighteen  or  twestj  branches  « 


I  than  ntefnl. 

To  form  a 
)  required. 


shed.  No  doubt  some  other  material  wonld  look  better 
than  the  straw,  hnt  it  is  cheap,  and  when  nailed  Gnnly 
between  laths  does  not  look  nntidy ;  and,  moreover,  it  is 
the  object  of  the  place  to  show  the  cheapest  as  well  as  the 


438   THE  NEW  PEUIT  GARDEN  OP  THE  CITY  OF  PARIS 


best  modes  of  protection^  and  also  the  best  way  of  applying 
those  most  commonly  in  nse ;  and  the  nse  of  neat  straw 
mats  for  protecting  walls  is  rery  common  in  France.  Posts 
of  pine  wood  fire  or  six  inches  in  diameter  are  employed 
to  support  the  espaliers^  because  they  are  cheap ;  and^  to 


Fie.  252. 


Pear  trained  in  Vase  form,  with  the  branches  croflsed.  The  branches  are 
gifted  by  approach  where  they  cross  each  other,  and  the  tree  rendered 
self-supporting.  It  is  somewhat  better  than  the  preceding  form,  and  as 
easy  to  make. 

secure  their  durability,  they  are  thoroughly  saturated  with 
blue  vitriol  before  being  erected.  This  is  a  cumbrous 
and  bad  plan^  the  kind  of  fruit  trellises  employed  at  Ver- 
sailles being  neater,  more  durable,  and  in  every  way  so 
superior  that  I  am  astonished  that  anybody  who  has  seen 


IN  THE   B0I8   DE   VINCENNES.  439 

the  Versailles  trellises  could  think  of  erecting  such  things  as 
these. 

In  the  garden  devoted  to  teaching  purposes  only,  all  the 
lines  which  the  branches  of  the  wall  trees  are  to  pursue 
when  fully  formed  are  indicated  by  small  rattan  c^nes — 
accurately  placed,  so  that  as  the  tree  grows  the  trainer  has 
no  hesitation  as  to  the  exact  position  each  branch  should 
take,  but  merely  has  to  attach  it  to  the  rods  so  definitely 
laid  down.  The  larger  trees  against  the  walls  are  mostly 
those  I  have  figured  as  the  Palmette  Verrier.  This  is  how- 
ever occasionally  trained  "  double,''  that  is,  it  has  two  vertical 
stems  instead  of  one.  Useless  as  well  as  desirable  forms  are 
shown ;  for  instance,  trees  formed  like  a  goblet,  with  the 
branches  crossed  or  ascending  vertically,  or  sometimes  like  a 
goblet  reversed.  These  are  all  useless  for  practical  purposes, 
though  they  may  serve  to  amuse  an  amateur ;  who,  however, 
would  do  better  to  amuse  himself  with  trees  more  beautiful, 
productive,  and  easy  to  train.  The  way  of  making  a  hedge 
of  Pears — a  hedge  that  when  once  made,  and  with  its 
branches  crossed  and  intertwined,  will  support  itself — is  also 
shown ;  and  without  doubt  neat  and  productive  screens  may 
thus  be  made  in  any  garden,  and  the  trees  kept  quite  as 
neatly  as  if  supported  by  expensive  trellising.  Altogether 
the  place  will  prove  an  instructive  one  after  a  few  years  to 
the  British  visitor,  and  particularly  in  convincing  him  of 
the  necessity  of  protecting  our  finer  wall  fruits;  but  as  a 
fruit  garden  it  is  quite  unworthy  of  the  city.  There  are 
amateurs'  gardens  about  Paris  better  arranged  and  more 
instructive  than  this,  specially  designed  to  illustrate  fruit 
culture  in  the  capital  of  La  Belle  France,  "  the  orchard  of 
Europe !"  Such  was  my  impression  when  I  visited  it  in 
September,  1868. 


440 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTBEUIL. 

The  finest  supplies  of  Peaches  for  the  Paris  market  do  not 
come,  as  perhaps  many  would  suppose,  from  the  sunny 
south  or  the  balmy  west,  but  from  within  a  few  miles  of 
Pans,  where  they  have  to  be  grown  on  walls  furnished  with 
good  copings,  and  receive  in  every  way  careful  protection 
and  culture.  Approaching  Montreuil  the  country  is  seen 
covered  with  good  crops  of  vegetables  and  fruit  to  the  tops 
of  the  pretty,  low  hills  in  the  neighbourhood.  All  the  crops^ 
however,  are  divided  into  small  plots,  showing  how  each 
person  has  his  own  little  portion,  and  has  it  moreover  for 
ever  if  he  so  chooses — land  being  bought  and  sold  here  as 
simply  as  an  overcoat  is  in  England.  But  getting  nearer 
still  to  the  village,  a  great  number  of  white  walls,  about 
eight  or  nine  feet  high,  are  seen,  enclosing  rather  small 
squares  of  land,  and  almost  entirely  devoted  to  the  Peach. 
As  the  walls  are  netted  over  many  acres  in  some  parts,  the 
efiect  is  curious  when  you  look  over  them  from  a  distance. 
In  the  squares  are  small  fruit  trees  and  all  sorts  of  garden 
crops.  To  the  visitor  who  takes  a  general  look  at  the  plan- 
tations here,  it  is  quite  apparent  that  it  is  not  to  the  climate 
that  the  best  growers  owe  their  success.  Among  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  cultivators  having  Peach  gardens  here^ 
there  are  many  with  very  shabby-looking  trees  on  the  walls^ 
while  those  in  some  of  the  best  gardens  are  perfect  models 
of  health,  fertility,  and  skilful  training.  It  will  be  seen  by  a 
glance  at  the  cuts  that  the  French  mode  of  pruning  the  Peach 
tree  is  quite  different  from  ours,  inasmuch  as  they  always 
aim  at  securing  straight,  well-formed,  well-furnished,  and 
equidistant  branches,  and  always  spur  in  the  shoots  rather 
closely  in  spring.     The  cuts  showing  their  mode  of  pruning, 


THB  PBACH  QABDBN8  OP  UOHTBEDIL. 


441 


disbudding,  covering  bare  spaces  on  the  stem,  &c.,  scattered 
throughout  this  chapter,  fully  explain  the  regular  and  close- 
pruning  French  system — any  garden  Trail  with  a  Peach  tree 
will  illustrate  our  own. 


Fig.257show8S8hoottliston  its  firetpruningwas  cutback  to 
four  or  five  inches,  bore  two  good  firuit,  and  fumishedfour  shooti. 


442 


THX  PXACH  OABDBNB  OF  HONTUEUIL. 


How  these  are  to  be  dealt  with  is  explained  in  the  illnstrstion, 
and  all  other  important  operations  in  those  that  follow  it. 

The  garden  of  M.  Chevallier  is  less  extensive  than  that 
of  the  better  known  M.  Lep^e,  but  certainly  displays 
examples  of  cultivation  not  anywhere  to  be  surpassed ;  and 
no  person  interested  in  froit-growing  should  visit  the  town 
without  seeing  it.  He  first  impression  is  very  good,  for  the 
outer  side  of  the  walls  is  covered  with  admirable  specimens 
of  Peach  trees,  the  narrow  strip  forming  the  border  in  which 


they  are  planted  being  cut  off  from  the  road-side  by  a 
fragile  fence  covered  with  vines.  To  merely  walk  along  this 
wall,  without  entering  the  garden  at  all,  would  repay  the 
visitor,  so  perfect  are  the  trees  in  health,  bearing,  and 
training.  Overhead  is  a  permanent  coping  of  plaster,  and 
immediately  beneath  it,  and  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  feet, 
the  spokes  of  old  wheels  project  eighteen  inches;  on  these 
are  placed  the  temporary  copings  of  boards  or  mats  in  spring 
in  this  very  paradisiacal  climate.     In  the  garden  the  same 


THE  PEACH  GARDENS  07  MONTSEVIL. 


443 


Fio.  256. 


admirable  culture  everywhere  prevails.  The  walls  are  as 
white  as  snow, — ^they  are  whitewashed  every  year,  with  a 
view  to  the  extermination  of  insects, — and  the  trees  are  of 
the  brightest  and  healthiest  green — quite  a  pleasure  to  look 
upon.  The  knuckle  end  of  the  leg-bone  of  a  sheep  projects 
from  the  wall,  at  intervals  of  a  couple  of  inches  only,  and 
at  about  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  top  of  the  wall.  These 
are  placed  so  as  to  firmly  fix  the  temporary  coping  in 
spring.  The  boards  or  neat  frtimes  of  straw  are  placed  be- 
neath the  permanent  coping  and  on  the  supports.  The  space 
between  coping  and  brackets  being  very  narrow,  there  is 
considerable  support  afforded  the  temporary 
covering,  especially  at  the  back  part;  by  at- 
taching an  eye  to  its  under  surface,  and 
firmly  tying  it  with  a  twig  of  osier,  wire,  or 
strong  twine,  to  the^bone  projecting  so  neatly 
and  firmly  below,  it  is  perfectly  secured 
from  aU  danger  of  removal  by  winds.  The 
cold  rains  which  occur  during  the  several 
months  while  the  trees  are  in  bud  and  flower, 
and  all  the  time  the  shoots  and  newly  formed 
fruit  are  tender,  run  off  the  plaster  coping 
on  to  the  temporary  one,  and  from  it  safe 
beyond  the  trees,  while  radiation  and  conse- 
quently frost  are  effectually  prevented  from 
doing  harm. 

To  suppose  that  this  thoughtfiil  protection  is 
merely  necessary  for  the  flowers  and  to  secure  fruit  is  a  fallacy; 
a  little  temporary  coping  is  improvised  here  even  over  quite 
young  trees  without  a  fiTiit  on  them,  simply  to  guard  their 
leaves  in  spring  from  the  maladies  consequent  upon  the 
extreme  cold  and  many  vicissitudes  of  the  French  climate  at 
that  season.  This  extemporized  coping  is  simply  formed  by 
placing  little  wooden  brackets  against  the  wall  at  about  four 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  placing  thereon  a  thin  rough 
board.  Such  a  thing  is  never  thought  of  in  England,  where 
there  is  of  course  quite  as  much  necessity  for  it.  The  effect 
of  the  sun  on  the  stem  and  larger  branches  of  the  tree  is 
also  guarded  against,  pieces  of  bark  or  boards  being  placed 


Small  Wooden 
Coping  used  to 
protect  yonng 
reach  IVees  in 
spring. 


444 


THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTEEUIL. 


Fig.  267. 


before  the  short  bole  or  base  of  the  tree,  the  main  branches 
on  the  upper  parts  being  carefully  shaded  by  training  over 
them  the  young  branches  of  the  current  year's  wood. 

The  black  marks  seen  on  the  white  waUs  are  lines 
which  the  main  branches  of  the  trees  are  to  follow.     In 

some  cases  they  are  quite 
simple  vertical  or  horizon- 
tal  lines,  according  as  the 
form  to  be  attained  may 
require;  in  other  places 
they  form  crowns,  eagles, 
initial  letters,  flourishes, 
&c. ;  for  though  the  culti- 
vator generally  prefers  sim- 
ple and  definite  forms,  he 
is  also  proud  of  his  skill  in 
overcoming  difficulties  of 
training,  and  shows  it  by 
these  curiously  and  very 
successfully  trained  trees 
against  his  walls.  M. 
Chevallier  is,  however,  a 
younger  cultivator  than  M. 
Lepere,  and  has  not  his 
curiosities  in  this  way  per- 
fect as  yet,  but  there  is 
every  sign    that  his  fancy 

Second  Pmningof Fruiting Pesch  Branch.  *^^8    ^^     ^    «ven     more 

F  is  cut  at  D  above  two  wood-bnds  to  elaborate    and    remarkable 

furnish  shoots  for  the  following  year;  ,■•  .,  i?  •»«■     t      v 

B  remains  to  carry  the  fruit,  and  the  ^^^    thOSC  of  M.    Lepere. 

shoot  is  cut  at  A.    Cut  E  would  only  It  is  only  jUSt  to  state  that 

be  applied  if  shoot   B  -did  not  bear  .,  ,  .         ^  ,        .      .      , 

flower  buds.  these     elaborately  -  tramed 

trees  bear  freely  and  well ; 
but  except  for  curiosity's  sake  or  for  show,  they  should 
not  be  attempted* 

Branches  of  trees  like  that  in  Fig.  253,  fifteen  feet  long, 
were  three  inches  higher  at  the  apex  than  at  the  base,  a  diffe- 
rence which  scarcely  removed  them  from  the  horizontal  posi- 
tion, and  yet  sufficed  to  give  an  easy  ascent  to  the  sap,  and 


THE  FEACH  GABDENS  OF  HONTREDIL.     445 

prereDt  all  tendeocy  of  the  braach  to  ahoot  vigorously  from 
any  point  near  the  base,  as  is  Bometimea  the  case  vith  the 
branches  when  placed  exactly  in  the  horizontal  position. 
Apart  from  this,  the  growing  point  of  each  main  branch  is 
allowed  to  push  &ee1y  a  little  upwards,  so  as  to  encourage  the 
sap  to  flow  regularly  through  the  branch,  and  not  halt  at  any 
one  point  to  the  detriment  of  all.  Grafting  by  approach  is 
practised  to  cover  naked  branches.  Four  to  fire  hundred 
fruit  are  gathered  from  the  best  trees,  or  an  average  of  about 
ten  fruit  per  mfetre  of  fruiting  branch.  Cheap  and  rather 
thin  planks,  about  twenty  inches  wide,  are  preferred  for  the 
temporary  coping ;  walls  twelve  feet  high  would  be  bene- 
fited by  a  few  inches  more.  Cor- 
dons of  Calville  Blane  and  other  F"»-  =58. 
fine  Apples  are  planted  plentifully 
on  the  spaces  between  the  trees; 
no  matter  how  well  the  walls 
are  covered,  there  is  always  space 
for  cordon  trees  between  them,  in 
consequence  of  the  branches  having 
a  very  gradual  upward  inclination. 
M.  Chevalljer's  garden  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  and  instructive 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  the  trees  in 
it  are  models  c 
perfect  training. 

We  will  next  visit  the  garden  of 
M.Lepere.  It  is  large,  and  consists  simply  of  a  series  of  oblong 
spaces  which  are  surrounded  by  Peach  walls,  both  walls  and 
ground  being  well  covered  Mid  cropped — neat,  clean,  and 
in  all  respects  satisfactory.  The  Feach  is  the  favourite 
subject,  but  neat  pyramidal  and  cordon  Fear  and  Apple 
trees  are  also  to  be  seen,  and  the  place  is  altogether 
many  degrees  above  the  ordinary  type  of  French  fr^iit  or 
kitchen  gardens.  There  are  two  entrances  to  M.  Lepere's 
establishment,  and  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  the  finer 
examples  of  cultivation  are  those  nearest  the  one  approached 
by  a  narrow  lane-like  road,  which  is  margined  on  each  side 
by  Feach  walls.     Outside  the  entrance  of  the  walls  there 


446 


THB  PKACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTEEUIL. 


is  a  small  comer  of  ground,  where  against  a  wall  may  be 
seen  several  capital  examples  of  Peach  trees,  the  finest  being 
trained  after  what  is  called  the  Carre  foruL  This  is  much 
admired  by  the  best  cultivators,  but  they  prefer  and  gene- 
rally adopt  the  Palmette  forms,  and  say  they  are  the  best. 
The  Candelabrum  form  is  also  to  be  seen  in  fine  condition  in 

Fio.  259. 


Fraiting  Branch  of  Peach  sahmitted  to  the  third  yearns  pruning.  D,  which 
has  home  the  fmit  of  the  past  year,  is  cut  at  A  ;  the  wood-buds  below  P 
will  furnish  fruiting  shoots  for  the  following  year ;  and  C  bear  the  fruit 
of  the  coming  summer. 

this  out-of-the-way  nook;  it  is  simply  trained  by  raising 
vertical  branches  from  horizontal  ones  running  along  near 
the  bottom  of  the  wall.  But  as  to  the  form  itself,  it  is  not 
a  matter  of  so  much  importance — ^the  two  chief  points  are 
covering  the  walls  and  the  treatment  of  the  fruiting  branch. 
Yet  it  is  interesting  to  notice  the  forms  adopted  by  the 


THB   PKACa   0AEDBH8   OF   HONTaEUIL. 


447 


most  successful  growers,  who,  however,  are  sure  to  have 
several  trees  moat  fantastically  trained.  They  will  tell  you 
that  form  is  not  a  matter  of  so  much  consequence,  but, 
nevertheless,  certain  forma  are  preferred,  and  certain  prin- 
ciples strictly  adhered  to. 

A  very  old  man,  dressed  in  a  blouse,  is  moving  along  the 
walls  nailing  in  the  shoots  here  and  there,  and  with  him  a 
dozen  young  men,  his  pupils.  This  is  M.  Lepere,  who  has 
s  class  twice  a  week.     Incidentally  I   may   say  that  the 


Fio.  260. 


Fio.  261. 


PninEn!;  to  replacs   old   froit-«pnr:  Kesult  of  the  prctedinK  operation.     Bit 
wood-builB   are  deieloped    at  the  cut  at  C;  t  benrn  fruit,  and  Q  wood- 

base,  an]   all  ibc  sboota  are    cut  buds;  >iid  tbus  Uie  spur  is  renewed, 

ibarp  olT,  a,a  at  A, 

principle '  of  giving  a  full  explanation  of  their  system  of 
doiug  auythiug  well,  animates  all  French  gardeners  more 
or  less.  Did  anybody  ever  hear  of  an  unusually  successM 
English  market  gardener  or  fruit  grower  calling  a  class 
round  liim  at  a  low  fee,  or  no  fee  at  all?  The  French, 
though  proud  of  their  success  in  this  way,  are  careful  to 
give  it  the  fullest  possible  ventilation ;  and  those  who  atteud 
here  cannot  fail  to  learn  the  culture  of  the  Peach  as  well  as 
need  be,  if  so  disposed,  for  the  master  glides  along  the  wall, 
and  stops  and  nails  in  the  shoots^  and  cuts  out  the  foremost 


THE  PEACH  GABDBNS  OF  UOKTBEUIL, 


449 


brancbes  here  and  there  that  are  not  wanted  for  next  year's 
irork ;  and,  ia  short,  does  and  explains  everything  before  bis 
pupils.  He  has  been  cultivating  Peaches  here  for  a  couple 
of  generations,  and  certainly  bas  reason  to  be  proud  of  the 
result.  He  inquired  as  to  the  state  of  gardening  in  England, 
and  I  told  him  we  could  beat  him  in  most  things,  but  not 
with  the  Peach,  and  that  be  was  indisputably  the  Emperor 
of  Peach -growers. 

Entering  the  garden,  your  eye  for  a  moment  rests  upon 
the  perfectly-covered  walls,  but  presently  the  famous  Napo- 

Fra.  263. 


Peich  Treei  truned  to  fonn  tbeir  Owner's  Name  against  Garden  Wtll. 


Icon  Peach  presents  itself.  It  is  in  good  health,  but  looks 
a  little  weak  about  the  central  letters.  It  is,  I  need  scarcely 
add,  beautifully  trained,  and  a  striking  evidence  of  what 
may  be  done  by  a  skilful  pruning.  Looking  in  another 
direction  another  specimen  quite  different  from  the  Napoleon 
presents  itself,  and  it  takes  tbe  form  of  tbe  letters  of  the 
owner's  name — LEPERE.  It  is  agunst  a  high  and  very 
white  wall,  and  at  a  long  distance  the  letters  stand  out 
quite  clearly,  while,  upon  approaching  the  tree,  the 
abundance  of  fruit  and  regularity  of  good  wood  are  equally 
satisfactoiy.     The  letters  complete,  a  shoot  is  taken  from 

6   O 


450  THE   PEAOfl   GARDENS  OF   MONTEEUIL. 

the  top  of  each^  and  these  are  united  in  a  somewhat  arching 
line  above^  and  spread  out  again  into  a  crown  over 
the  name,  while  on  each  side  a  single  tree  springs  up,  and, 
forming  a  border  for  the  letters,  spreads  out  above  into  a 
triple  flourish  on  each  side  of  the  crown.  It  is  a  finer  object 
than  the  Napoleon,  and  bears  a  splendid  crop.  The  sketch 
gives  but  a  very  poor  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  tree,  which 
I  by  no  means  figure  here  by  way  of  recommending  it  or 
similar  curious  forms,  but  simply  to  show  the  mastery  at- 
tained over  the  trees.  Such  a  fanciful  form  is  interesting 
in  a  great  Peach  garden,  where  the  grower  wishes  to  show 
his  skill,  but  is  useless  for  private  gardens  or  for  general 
purposes.  It  should  be  added  that  the  formation  of  the 
LEPERE  was  much  easier  than  that  of  the  NAPOLEON 
tree,  inasmuch  as  a  plant  is  devoted  to  every  letter  in  the 
former. 

The  well-made  walls  all  run  east  and  west,  and  are  placed 
within  about  ten  yards  of  each  other.  This  proximity  of 
the  walls  makes  the  scene  quite  different  from  what  we  have 
in  England.  It  is  done  so  that  many  walls  may  be  accom- 
modated on  a  comparatively  small  space,  and  they  are  also 
eflFective  in  concentrating  the  heat  and  for  sheltering.  The 
ground  is  thus  divided  into  very  long  narrow  strips,  the  white 
walls  covered  with  the  fresh  green  of  healthy  Peach  trees,  and 
the  ground  planted  with  fruit  trees.  Strawberries,  and  Aspa- 
ragus. The  soil  is  of  a  calcareous  nature,  and  the  long 
strips  enclosed  by  the  walls  are  generally  about  fourteen  yards 
across.  The  syringe  is  rarely  or  never  used,  sulphur  being 
the  remedy  for  spider.  The  ground  was  in  all  cases  mulched 
near  the  trees,  a  wide  alley  being  left ;  and  for  preparation 
of  the  border  they  simply  trench  and  manure  the  ground  a 
couple  of  feet  deep,  and  about  six  feet  wide.  The  trees  are 
pruned  on  the  spur  system,  and  as  for  their  shapes,  they  are 
many,  in  addition  to  the  alphabetical  ones  alluded  to  above. 
The  Taille  en  Candelabre  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  most 
usefal.  To  form  it  two  branches  are  taken  to  the  right  and 
left  along  near  the  bottom  of  the  wall.  Prom  the  uppermost, 
single  shoots  are  taken  at  regular  intervals  to  the  top  of  the 
wall — the  lower  branch  simply  running  along  to  the  end  and 


Tag  F£ACH    QARDBN5  OF  MONTBBtllL.  451 

rising  to  tlie  top  of  the  w^,  or  in  other  irords,  forming  a 
great  oblong  frame  for  the  interior.  Then  there  is  the  TaiUe 
4  la  Montreuil,  a  sort  of  fan-tail,  but  with  the  diviBions  Bome- 
what  far  from  the  base  in  most  cases,  and  scyeral  modifica- 
tions of  the  commoD  horlzuntal  mode  of  training,  which  we 
employ  so  much  for  the  Pear,  but  never  for  the  Peach.  These 
seem  favourite  varieties,  and  by  their  means  the  walls  are 
perfectly  covered — if  indeed  one  can  draw  any  distinction 

Fio.  361. 


between  the  walls  here,  which  are  all  as  fresh-looking  as  a 
meadow  in  May. 

A  form  presenting  the  advantage  of  the  cordon,  without 
its  too  confined  and  unnatural  development,  is  very  common. 
It  is  properly  tenned  the  U,  bearing  a  considerable  resem- 
blance to  that  letter  much  elongated.  Frequently  this  is 
doubled,  and  a  tree  with  four  ascending  branches  obtained. 
These  forms  are  excellent  for  poor  ground,  or  that  in  which 
the  Peach  grows  with  but  little  vigour.  The  number  of 
fruit   borne   by  the  finer  examples  of  trees  here  rusn  from 


452 


THK  PEACH  QABDBN8  Ot   MOHTRBUIL. 


fonr  to  five  bondred,  and  this  without  injnring  the  tree  in 
the  least  degree.  As  to  the  pinching  of  the  summer  shoots 
after  they  are  laid  in,  it  is  done  according  to  their  strength ; 
bat  the  greater  number  are  pinched  at  from  six  to  ten 
inches,  and  the  lateral  branches  that  spring  from  these  are 
of  course  pinched  also,  while  weak  Bhortish  branches  are 
allowed  to  grow  to  their  full  extension.  The  pruning  is 
distinct  from  outb  in  this  :  it  is  done  on  the  spur,  and  not 
on  the  cutting-oat  prininple.     We  generally  leave  the  shoots 


Fio.  36S. 


Fie.  366. 


Mode  of  Pruning  to  e .   

■piiceB  on  the  brsucheB  of 
Peach  treoB,  first  year.  The 
■boots  urisiDg  from  the  hudi 
A,  B,  C,  and  D  >re  aUowed 
to  frrow  freel;,  and  ore  Dkiled 
in  during  the  Bummer. 


Remit  of  preceilinR  opemtion,  second  jear. 
A,  B,  C,  D  are  the  aboots  dcTeloped  from 
the  bads  to  which  the  uune  letters  refer  in 
the  preceding  fignre.  This  fignre  ibowi 
the  appearance  of  the  brancbee  before  the 
proDUig. 


of  the  past  year  long,  and  cut  away  a  good  deal  of  the  old 
wood ;  here  the  branches  are  conducted  in  straight  lines 
and  regularly  spurred  in  every  year,  fruit  and  wood  buds 
being  left  at  the  base  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
cultivator.  The  wood  of  the  current  year  is  laid  in  against 
the  wall  with  nails  and  shreds  juat  in  our  own  way,  only 
thicker,  as  of  course  must  be  the  case  when  a  close  array  of 
BpQTs  along  each  shoot  has  to  be  obtained.     There  can  he 


THB   P£ACH    OAEDBNS   Of    HONTBBIIIL.  453 

little  doubt  tliat  thia  syatein  is  better  than  our  own,  and 
perfectly  sitited  for  our  wants,  provided  we  take  care  to 
protect  the  young  shoots  and  flowers  in  spring,  as  common 
sense  directs. 

In  passing  along  by  the  walls,  grafting  by  approacli  may 
be  seen  in  operation  here  and  there,  with  the  object  of 
covering  naked  spots,  strengthening  shoots,  and  even  adding 
a  young  shoot  to  the  base  of  an  old  spur  that  has  become 
too  long.     An  interesting  example  of  its  utility  was  shown 

Flo.  267.  Fio.  268. 


Summer   manuienient  of  tb«  Peach.  Sboot  of  Peach  witbout   Frnit ;   ttw 

Tbe  ehtKiU  ftbove  tbe  fruit  are  re-  branchee  A,  vbich  vould  bare  been 

tained  and  stopped,  A,  A  removed,  retained  had  tbe  shoot  borne  a  crop, 

and  the  two  lover  shoota  fumieb  become  uboIsss,  and  tbe  sboot  B  u 

the  fruiting  wood  for  the  following  cut  at  C  to  favour  the  development 

year.  of  D,  V>,  which  will  be  the  fmitiog 
branches  of  tbe  following  jeai, 

by  the  outer  branch  of  a  tree.  It  is  considered  very 
desirable  that  the  lower  and  outer  branch  of  a  Palmette 
Verrier  should  be  the  strongest  and  highest  of  all,  so  as  to 
secure  a  flow  of  sap  to  the  lower  parts  of  the  trees,  instead 
of  allowing  it  to  flow  rapidly  towards  the  higher  parts,  and 
thus  spoil  all.  In  one  case,  one  of  the  outer  branches 
was  feeble  and  delicate,  and  did  not  seem  to  push  much 
more  than  to  the  bend,  &om  whence  it  ought  to  have  grown 
strong   to  the   top   of  the  wall.     A.  healthy  and  vigorous 


TRB  PKACH  OABDEKS  OF  HONTBKHIL. 


shoot  of  a  neighbonriiig  tree  iras  worked  on  it  by  approacb, 
and  IB  the  course  of  a  Bingle  seaaon  the  desired  strength 


was  obtained,  and  the  shoot  went  vigorously  to  the  top  of 
the  wall.  Not  only  are  the  pruner's  best  precautions  ti^en 
to  secure  abundance  of  rigour  and  sap  in  the  lower   parts 


THE   PEACH    OAEUEN8   01   HONTREUIL. 


453 


of  the  specimen,  but  slow-groinng  and  not  very  vigorons 
kinds  are  grafted  a  little  above  the  middle  of  the  tree, 
so  as  to  prevent  in  the  completest  manner  the  tendency 
irhich  the  sap  has  to  rush  tovards  the  higher  points.  To 
show  the  difference  between  cultivators,  it  is  sufficient  to 
mention  that  M.  Lepere  considers  this  precaution  indis- 
pensable;  while  another  distinguished  cultivator  in  the 
same  Deiglibourhood  does  not  practise  it  at  all,  but  pinches 
the  upper  shoots  and  deprives  them  of  leaves  when  too 
vigorous,  and  thus  preserves  the  most  perfect  health  in  his 

Fio.  270.  Fl».  271, 


DiBbnildinff  of  the  Peach,  second  jenr.  DiabaililiDe  of  the  Peach,  ncond  year. 

C   and  A  are  TemoTtd;    B,  B,  fur-  If  no  ftiut  be  bonie  on  E,  it  is  cut  at 

niah  the    wood   for  the    fijltowing  F,  leaving  O  to  furnish  the  frnitiDg 

j'ear.  nood  for  the  followiag  year. 

trees.  This  repulsion  of  the  sap  to  the  lower  parts  of  the 
trees  is  also  slightly  effected  by  the  use  of  the  wide 
temporary  coping,  which  guards  against  frost  and  keeps  the 
growth  down  by  partly  excluding  light  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  wall.  When  it  is  removed,  and  when  all 
danger  of  frost  is  post,  the  sap  has  flowed  so  freely 
into  the  lower  branches  that  but  little  trouble  is  required 
to  keep  the  tree  in  a  perfectly  equable  state,  all  parts  of 
the  wall  doing  a  full  amount  of  work.  I  noticed  some 
walls  alongside  a  road  at  Montreuil  made  of  blocks  of 
plaster   two  feet  long,   one   foot  high,   and  five  iaches 


456      TUB  FEACB  GARDENS  OF  HONTREUIL. 

thick,  fomuDg  a  strong  and  presentable  wall.  The  blocks 
are  sold  at  sixty  fnuics  per  hundred.  The  walls  are 
about  nine  feet  high,  and  have  a  coping  of  plaster 
six  inches  wide.  Plaster  is  very  cheap  in  the  netgh- 
bourhood,  being  dug  up  in  quarries  quite  near  to  the  gardens, 
and  thus  it  is  easy  to  form  a  neat  and  thin  projection  from 
the  ridge  of  plaster  which  forms  the  top  of  the  wall,  by 
placing  boards  underneath  till  the  coping  sets.  This  pro- 
tection is  more  necessary  at  the  west  and  south  than  at  the 
east,  the  cold  rains  being  more  feared  than  frost,  and  more 
difficult  to  guard  against ;  for  while  a  narrow  coping  will 

Fio.  173. 


firmly  onilcd,  the  shoot  D  is  ci 

save  the  trees  from  frost,  it  is  not  so  efiective  against 
driving  cold  rains.  A  finer  crop  could  not  be  desired 
than  was  visible  everywhere  here  on  the  day  of  my  visit, 
5th  July,  1868.  It  is  particularly  noticeable  that,  no  matter 
what  form  of  tree  is  adopted,  all  the  fruiting  branches  are 
higher  at  the  apei  than  the  base,  instead  of  pursuing  the 
horizontal  line,  as  is  the  case  with  us.  Perhaps  to  the 
passing  visitor  some  of  the  trees  in  their  full  summer  dress 
might  appear  to  have  their  branches  horizontally  placed  ; 
but    even   in    cases  where    there    is   most   room    for    the 


THE  PEACH  QARDENB  OF  HONTBBniL,     457 

Buppoaition,  the  oater  ends  of  the  shoots  are  several  inches 
higher  than  where  they  spring  from  the  Bsceodiiig  axis. 

Many  cordons  are  to  be  seen  in  abundant  bearing  in 
the  garden,  both  against  the  vails  and  in  the  open.  The 
Calvilles  against  the  walla  were  very  good,  and  were 
not  always  confined  to  a  single  line,  but  were  superimposed. 
It  is  a  better  plan  to  confine  them  to  a  single  stem,  allowing 
that  to  elongate  aa  much  aa  space  will  permit,  that  is,  if 
the  apace  to  be  covered  ia  a  mere  narrow  strip  of  wall,  as  is 
the  case  under  these  Peach  trees,  and  the  object  be  to  secure 
a  crop  of  the  finest  fimit.  Some  of  the  Calville  and  other 
Apples  to  be   seen  here  on  cordons  have  nut-brown  scars 


near  the  apex,  showing  where  the  destmctive  worm  has 
been  cut  out ;  by  taking  it  in  time  the  fruit  is  saved, 
and  this  attention,  which  would  be  ridiculous  in  the  case 
of  ordinary  fruit,  is  repaid  in  the  case  of  the  Calville, 
for  the  very  finest  specimens  of  which  four  francs  each 
are  sometimes  received  by  the  owner  of  this  garden. 
It  need  hardly  be  added  that  this  price  is  for  fruit  quite 
exceptional  both  as  to  appearance  and  size.  There 
are  specimens  of  the  Peach  trained  as  cordons  bear- 
ing plenty  of  fruit,  but  they  present  few  advantages 
in  this  case  that  should  make  them  be  preferred  to 
forms  that  are  more  fully  developed.     It  is  not  with  them. 


458 


THE  PEACH  QARDENa  OP  HONTBEUIL. 


8  with  the  Apple  o 


Pio.  S74. 


the  Paradise  stock,  a  nnion  that  induces 
a  Tery  dwarf  development, 
bat,  on  the  contrary,in  con- 
aeqnecce  of  being  confined 
to  a  single  stenij  they  are 
apt  to  pnsh  too  vigoronsly. 
M.Lepere  had  not  a  word  to 
say  in  favour  of  the  system. 
The  IT  form  is  so  pretty, 
BQCcessfal,  and  generally 
adopted  thatthe  foUowingon 
its  formation  by  M.  Lep^re 
can  hardly  fail  to  be  useful. 
"  This  graceful  form  ia 
very  easy  to  establish,  and 
I  strongly  recommend  it 
to  those  amateurs  who  have 
but  little  wall  space  to 
devote  to  Peach-growing. 
Peach  trees  planted  in  this 
way  afford  the  means  of 
growing  a  number  of  varie- 
a  small  compass, 
and  of  speedily  obtaining  a 

well  trained  tree    in  full   bearing-     After    having    chosen 

healthy  trees  eighteen  months  old  fiill  of  buds  at  the  base, 

they   are  cot  down    to    within 

eight  inches  of  the  graft  at  the 

time    of   planting.     When   the 

first  leaves  begin  to  appear,  two 

well  placed  shoots  situated  about 

rix  inches  above  the  graft  are 

chosen,  one  ou  each  side  of  the 

stem.     These   are  intended    to 

form  the  two  main  branches  that 

are  afterwards  to  be  trained  in 

the  U  shape.     The  ends  of  these 

two    branches   are  then   turned        ^      „   , 

J.       .)  ,  ,    .  Nul  Basket  nsed  instead  of 

directly    upwards,    care     being  NsilBag. 


Details  of  the  preceding  Hgurer 


THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTREUIL. 


459 


Fig.  276. 


taken  that  the  extremities  are  perfectly  free,  so  that  their 
development  may  not  be  interfered  with. 

"  The  space  to  be  given  in  planting  when  the  soil  is  of  the 
best  kind  is  about  a  yard  to  each  tree,  which  will  leave 
an  interval  of  eighteen  inches  between  each  principal  vertical 
branch,  thus  allowing  suflScient  room  for  nailing  in  the  sum- 
mer shoots.  When  the  soil  is  not  so  favourable  for  Peach- 
growing,  the  trees  can  be  planted 
two  yards  from  each  other  and 
trained  in  the  form  of  the  double 
U.  In  this  case,  as  in  the  other, 
the  principal  branches  will  be 
eighteen  inches  apart.  Three 
years  ago  I  planted  on  a  southern 
aspect  some  Peach  trees  in  the 
form  of  the  single  U.  They  yield 
on  an  average  one  hundred 
Peaches  each  every  year.  The 
wall  against  which  they  are 
trained  is  ten  feet  high,  and 
they  were  in  fiill  bearing  the 
third  year. 

"  I  give  the  preference  to  this 
form  over  the  oblique  cordon  be- 
cause, the  principal  branches  be- 
ing trained  in  a  perfectly  upright 
position,  the  sap  is  more  equally 
divided  amongst  the  smaller 
shoots,  and  if  a  tree  or  two 
happen  to  die  in  a  fully  formed 
plantation,  the  place  they  oc- 
cupy on  the  wall  which  thus  be- 
comes empty  is  not  shaded  by  the 

branches  of  the  neighbouring  trees.  The  dead  trees  can 
therefore  be  easily  replaced  by  yoimg  subjects  from  the 
nursery.  This  is  a  great  advantage  for  amateurs^  who 
have  not  always  full  grown  trees  to  fill  up  bare  spaces. 
In  the  oblique  form  the  inclined  position  which  each 
tree  is  subjected  to  at  the  time  of  coming  into  leaf^  causes 


Peach  Tree  in  the  douhle  U  form. 
One  (ride  is  left  unfurnished  to 
show  the  practice  of  markiu 
on  the  wails  the  outh'ne  whic 
the  tree  is  to  assume  before  be- 
ginning to  train  it. 


ing 
icfi 


460 


THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTKEDIL. 


Pio.  377. 


a  disturbaQce  all  along  tlie  npper  edge  of  the  brancli  when 
constaat  watchfiilness  of  training  is  not  pursued.  Besides,  if 
sereral  trees  happen  to  die,  and  the  only  trees  available 
to  replace  them  are  those  firom  the  nursery,  the  place  they 
▼ill  occupy  on  the  wall  will  be  shaded  by  the  branches  of  the 
old  trees,  and  the  young  ones  will  be  injured  for  want 
of  light  and  air.  As  I  have  already  said,  the  U  form  is 
the  most  easy  to  train,  the  most  graceful  to  the  eye,  and 
more  prolific  than  the  oblique."  I  have  in  many  parts 
of  France  seen  fine  results  obtained  by  trees  grown  on 
this  simple  principle.  Occasionally  the  points  of  trees 
trained  in  the  U  and  double  U 
forms  are  united  by  grafting  by 
approach.  This  does  not  in 
their  case  seem  to  be  any  ad- 
vantage. 

The  reason  why  the  Peach 
is  so  successfully  cultivated  at 
Montreuil  is,  that  the  cul- 
tivators pay  thorough  and  con- 
stant attention  to  its  wants, 
with  which  a  life-long  experience 
has  made  them  familiar.  The 
trees  are  at  all  times  well  at- 
tended to.  I  believe  that  quite 
Peach  tmined  in  the  Double  U  form,  ^s  eood  and  as  certain  results 
with  the  point!  of  the  braachsB  . .       ,  ■      .         -  <         . 

united  bj  gnfting.  could      DC    attamed    with    the 

Peach  in  many  of  the  southern 
parts  of  England  and  Ireland,  particularly  if  its  culture 
were  made  a  speciality  of,  as  it  is  in  France.  When 
cultivators  devote  themselves  entirely  to  a  subject,  they 
soon  learn  all  its  wants,  and  moreover,  attend  to  them 
at  the  right  moment — a  great  point.  But  it  is  very  diffe- 
rent with  private  gardeners  generally,  whose  hands  are 
very  full  of  other  matters  in  spring  and  early  summer,  a 
time  when  the  Peach  requires  much  attention ;  the 
result  being  that  it  is  too  often  neglected  for  a  week  or  two 
at  that  season,  with  a  consequent  loss  of  health  to  the  trees. 
There  does  not  seem  much  help  for  this  in  private  gardens. 


THE  PEACH  GARDENS  OF  MONTREUIL.     461 

and  the  only  hope  is  that^  by  the  cropping  of  the  borders  as 
elsewhere  suggested^  gardeners  generally  may  find  it  worth 
while  to  devote  more  attention  to  walls  than  they  usually  do. 
I  think  it  a  matter  for  regret  that  public  attention  has 
been  to  some  extent  called  away  from  the  many  uses  and 
advantages  of  walls  in  our  climate^  and  that  we  have  made 
no  progress  in  protecting  or  managing  wall  trees  corre- 
sponding with  our  advances  in  other  respects.  Some  persons 
have  gone  so  far  as  to  say  that  garden  walls  ought  to  be 
abolished  altogether.  One  cannot  believe  that  such  people 
can  ever  have  seen  the  excellent  results  produced  by  well- 
managed  garden  walls — ^results  as  beautiful  as  profitable. 
Why,  even  if  we  could  erect  glass-houses  by  the  economical 
aid  of  a  magic  wand,  the  good  firuit-grower  would  still  find 
uses  for  a  large  extent  of  wall  surface.  As  things  are  at 
present,  all  should  aim  at  greater  success  in  the  protec- 
tion and  management  of  wall  trees — a  thoroughly  practical 
and  attainable  aim.  Our  chief  want  of  success  now  is  due  to 
not  preserving  the  flowers  and  tender  yoimg  leaves  from 
the  sleet,  cold  rains,  and  frost,  during  the  cold  and  change- 
able spring  common  to  northern  France  and  the  British 
Isles. 


462 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    MARKET   GARDENS   OF   PARIS. 

It  has  been  frequently  said  that  the  minute  division  oj 
property  in  land  retards  the  improvement  of  agriculture  in 
France.  It  may  be  so  with  farmings  but  it  certainly  doee 
not  hold  good  with  market  gardens.  Those  in  and  around 
Paris  are  very  small^  but  they  are  the  best  and  mosi 
thoroughly  cultivated  patches  of  ground  I  have  ever  seen. 
Every  span  of  the  earth  is  at  work ;  and  cleanliness^  rapid 
rotation^  deep  culture^  abundant  food  and  water  to  the 
crops— in  a  word,  every  virtue  of  good  cultivation— arc 
there  to  be  seen.  I  doubt  very  much  if  such  good  results 
could  be  obtained  by  a  larger  system^  and  certainly  in  nc 
part  of  Britain  is  the  ground,  whether  garden  or  farm>  sc 
thoroughly  cultivated,  or  rendered  nearly  as  productive,  as  in 
these  little  family  gardens,  as  they  may  be  called,  foi 
they  are  usually  no  larger  than  admits  of  the  owner's  eye 
seeing  the  condition  of  every  crop  in  the  garden  at  once. 
The  Paris  market  gardeners  as  a  class  keep  to  them- 
selves, marry  among  themselves,  and  seem  content  with 
about  as  much  ground  as  gives  occupation  to  their  family. 
They  are  as  a  rule  a  prosperous  class.  The  gardens  vary 
in  size  from  odc  to  two,  and  occasionally  three  acres, 
are  usually  walled  in  and  furnished  with  a  cottage^  a  few 
sheds,  and  a  well. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  our  English  cities  the  price  oi 
ground  is  high — according  to  our  scale,  that  around  Paric 
is  very  high  indeed.  From  information  gathered  on  the 
spot,  during  September  last,  I  may  say  the  rent  variei 
from  24/.  to  33/.  per  acre.  On  entering  a  market  gardei 
the  tenant  has  to  pay  in  addition  to  his  rent  from  200/.  U 


THK    XASKBT    0AEDEN3    OP    PARIS. 


463 


600/.  for  stock,  fistures,  &c.     It   ib  necessary  to   dig  deep 
tu  get  a  retuiTL  under  these  coaditions  ! 

Manure   forms    a    very   considerable    item   in  the  ex- 
penses of  these  gardens.     One  market  gardener  of  the  first 


class  paid  500  fr  (201)  a 
mijuth  for  manure.  His 
garden  was  about  three  Eng- 
lish acres  in  extent,  which 


much  bevoiid  the  a 


erage 


size.  Manure  would  appear 
to  be  dearer  than  in  Lon- 
don, from  three  to  four  francs 
per  horse  being  paid  for  it. 
Five  francs  a  mouth  arc  paid 
for  that  of  each  omnibus 
horse.  These  being  iu  Paris 
all  strong,  large,  well-nur- 
tured stallions,  their  manure 
is  the  more  valuable  It  is 
usually  piled  in  heaps  near  the  entrance  to  the  market 
gardens.  Some  of  the  crops  are  absolutely  growing  in  nothing 
but  decomposed  manure;  and  it  is  used  profiisely  for  every- 
thing. From  the  beginning  of  May  to  the  end  of  Novem- 
ber the  market  gardeners  have  no  use  for  hotbeds,  and  yet 


464  THE  MARKET  GABDENS  OF  PARIS. 

every  day  there  anives  one  or  more  loads  of  stable  manore, 
all  of  vluch  is  piled  into  rick-like  heaps,  to  be  used  cbieSy  in 
winter  and  spring.  In  November  they  commence  to  make 
the  hotbeds,  and  as  hot  dung  arrives  every  day  they  mix 
with  it  that  which  has  been  gathered  during  the  summer— 
thus  insuring  beds  giving  a  moderate  degree  of  heat. 

But  8  more  important  and  expensive  item  is  the  watering. 
The  Parisian  market  gardener,  if  not  a  scientific  man,  would 
appear  to  be  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  by  far  the  most 
important  constituent  of  vegetables  is  water.  As  a  rule,  the 
less  of  this  they  contain  the  worse  they  are.  It  is  owing  to 
the  abundant  watering  of  the  market  gardens,  more  espe- 
cially than  to  anything  else,  that  the  Paris  markets  are  in 
all  sorts  of  seasons  and  summers  better  supplied  with 
crisp,  fresh,  and  delicious  vege- 
Fio.  279.  tables  thanthoseof  anyother  capital 

in  Europe.  Every  market  garden 
has  its  pump  worked  by  the  horse 
of  the  establishment — ^the  Nandin 
system  being  generally  preferred. 
From  this  the  water  is  con- 
ducted   into     old   barrels    nearly 

„  ,.    .    „  ,      plunged     to    their    rims    in    the 

Watenng-potasBdb/thBMwltet  ,      .  i        •    ,  . 

Gardeners  of  PwiB.  ground   at  regular  interrala  over 

the  garden,  and  from  these 
barrels  distributed  by  watering  pots.  These  are  always 
of  copper — the  best  I  saw  being  flat-sided  and  oblong 
instead  of  round-bodied.  The  handle  springs  clean  from 
the  top  to  the  back  of  the  vessel,  so  that  when  filled 
and  carried  by  the  workman  to  the  spot  he  wishes  to  water, 
he  merely  has  to  pitch  the  pots  (he  always  uses  two  at  a 
time)  forward  a  little  and  let  his  hands  fall  back,  so  as  to 
hold  the  pot  in  the  position  which  most  favours  the  pouring 
out  of  the  water.  The  pipe  being  very  wide,  and  the  rose 
broad  and  freely  perforated  with  large  holes,  the  water  ia 
discharged  almost  in  an  iastant,  and  the  workman  again 
proceeds  to  hia  barrel  close  at  hand,  and  always  kept  filled 
from  the  pump.  Thorough  wateriag  is  thus  effected,  but 
it  involves  a  considerable  expenditure  for  labour,  one  or 


THE  MARKET  GARDENS  OF  PARIS.       465 

two  men  being  nearly  always  employed  at  it  in  each  little 
garden  daring  the  sunny  months. 

The  system  of  watering  with  the  hose^  generally  adopted 
in  the  city  of  Paris,  could  not  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  market  gardeners :  it  is  already  used  by  several  of  them^ 
the  old  system  of  pots  and  tubs  being  done  away  with.  In 
these  cases  the  pump  is  again  employed  to  elevate  the  water 
to  a  cistern  placed  a  few  yards  above  the  highest  point  of 
the  garden,  and  near  the  manure  heaps  and  sheds  of  the 
establishment.  I  examined  a  garden  thus  arranged,  and 
found  the  system  very  satisfactory.  Twenty-seven  outlets 
for  the  water  were  established  over  the  surface  of  a  garden 
about  two  acres  in  extent.  To  these  a  hose  of  india-rubber 
is  attached,  with  a  few  feet  of  copper  tubing  and  a  large 
profiisely  perforated  copper  distributor  or  rose  at  its  other 
end.  Prom  this,  when  the  water  is  put  on,  it  flows  in  a  gentle 
but  dense  shower ;  and  the  apparatus  may  be  managed  by 
aVoman  or  a  boy.  The  hose  is  not  on  little  wheels  as  is  the 
one  used  in  the  roads  and  parks,  nor  can  it  be  by  any  means 
or  in  any  shape  dragged  over  the  growing  crops  that  occupy 
every  inch  of  the  ground  except  the  very  narrow  alleys 
between  the  squares  or  large  beds;  therefore  there  is  a  little 
contrivance  to  facilitate  its  use  without  injuring  any  of  the 
plants.  The  outlet,  we  will  say,  is  on  an  alley  crossing  the 
garden,  and  the  operator  wishes  his  hose  to  play  say  thirty 
feet  from  the  outlet,  and  up  one  of  the  narrow  footways 
that  leads  from  the  alley.  Three  little  wooden  rollers  held 
together  on  one  piece  of  iron  enable  him  to  do  this.  The 
following  simple  diagram  will  explain  it :  f^  .  There  is  a 
little  wooden  roller  on  the  cross  bar,  and  one  short  one 
with  a  margin  on  each  of  the  upper  limbs — the  lower  points 
form  the  teeth,  and  are  stuck  in  the  earth.  Through  this, 
placed  at  the  mouth  of  the  alley,  the  india-rubber  hose  glides 
as  easily  as  a  snake,  without  hurting  a  leaf.  The  mechanical 
arrangement  of  each  outlet  is  such  that  a  twist  of  the  base 
of  the  hose  which  fits  it  is  made  to  turn  the  water  off  or  on 
in  an  instant.  This  very  satisfactory  apparatus  cost  its 
owner  about  3000  francs.  Having  his  own  pump  there  is 
nothing  to  pay  for  the  water. 

H  H 


466       THE  MARKET  GARDENS  OF  PARIS. 

Nobody  could  pass  suddenly,  as  I  have  done,  from  our  own 
markets  and  market  gardens  to  those  of  Paris  in  the  middle  of 
any  but  a  wet  summer  without  being  forcibly  taught  how 
adyantageous  it  would  be  to  be  able  to  command  water  in 
our  gardens.  It  is  the  custom,  and  a  very  frequent  one, 
among  the  horticultural  community,  to  grumble  about 
our  climate — ^the  "  dulV  "  cloudy,'^  "  changeable'^  climate 
of  Britain ;  to  speak  of  that  of  other  countries  as  paradisaical^ 
and  to  attribute  all  our  failures  to  "  want  of  sun/' 

In  1868  we  had  sun  enough  to  satisfy  an  Arab,  and  what 
was  the  result  ?  The  worst  ever  remembered  in  the  garden. 
It  was  natural  to  think  the  soft,  green  vegetables  would  suffer, 
but  everybody  hoped  the  heat  would  prove  favourable  to 
such  useful  members  of  the  Solanum  families  as  the  Potato 
and  Tomato;  whereas  the  Potatoes  proved  worse  than  if 
badly  blighted,  and  even  the  heat-loving  Tomato  dropped 
its  flowers  before  setting.  Radishes  disappeared  with  the 
dew  of  May.  The  Cabbage  tribe  presented,  everywhere 
that  they  had  not  completely  perished,  a  sad  spectacle — a 
mere  bony  framework  of  glaucous  vegetation,  with  all  the 
softer  parts  gnawed  away  by  hungry  tribes  of  vermin,  the 
only  things  that  flourished  with  the  heat.  In  this  condition 
the  Brassicacese  were  sold,  and — the  fact  speaks  well  for  the 
appetite  of  the  public — eaten.  An  extensive  London  market 
gardener  showed  me  a  field  of  Celery  with  not  a  single  plant 
in  it  good  or  large  enough  to  be  culled  for  seasoning,  ai)d  at 
nearly  every  root  grubs  gnawing  away  the  plant.  Those  who 
are  accustomed  to  realize  hundreds  of  pounds  for  a  crop, 
gathered  barely  as  much  of  it  as  would  make  it  worth  while 
sending  to  the  market ;  while  the  private  growers  were  quite 
as  badly  off.  During  the  month  of  July,  and  when  Cauli- 
flowers in  British  gardens  had  almost  disappeared,  I  mea- 
sured them  in  the  market  gardens  of  Paris  a  foot  in  diameter, 
of  that  pure  creamy  white  and  perfectly  dense  and  firm 
texture  which  admirers  of  the  Cauliflower  like  so  much. 
Strange  as  it  may  appear  to  some,  during  the  whole  of  the 
hot  weather  vegetables  of  the  primest  and  the  most  delicate 
quality  were  to  be  had  in  the  Paris  markets,  where  even 
greater  diflBculties  had  to  be  met  by  the  cultivator. 


THE  MARKET  GARDENS  OF  PARIS.       467 

Be  it  observed  that  this  is  no  contrast  of  1868 ;  it  is  the 
same  thing,  to  some  extent,  every  year.     The  year  1867,  for 
example,  was  anything  but  a  dry  one ;  yet,  in  passing  through 
the  central  markets  at  Paris  during  the  month  of  July,  1867, 
with  an  excellent  cultivator  who  has  every  convenience  and 
good  ground  in  the  prettiest  and  richest  part  of  Surrey,  he 
was  more  surprised  with  the  Radishes  and  young  Turnips  than 
with  anything  else.     '^We  cannot  get  anything  like  these 
at  this  season,^'  said  he.     Of  course  not,  and  simply  because 
we  do   not  take  the  simplest  precautions  to  secure  them. 
We  have  them  when  the  weather  is  dewy  and  favourable, 
and  where  the  climate  and  soil  are  moist ;  but  a  few  weeks 
of  diyness  puts  an  end  to  all  such  luxuries,  and  should  the 
drought  continue,  everything  becomes  worthless  and  uneat- 
able, as  during  the  past  season.     But  are  we  in  a  position 
to  boast  of  our  horticulture  while  this  is  the  case  ?     Does 
the  routine  work,  which  merely  waits  upon  the  seasons  thus, 
deserve  the  name  of  skill  ?     I  think  not,  and  moreover  that 
it  is  absurdly  unsatisfactory  to  reflect  that  the  veiy  things 
which  our  watery  and  cloudy  clime  is  supposed  to  be  most 
favourable  to,  are  to  be  found  in  greatest  perfection  with  the 
French,  in  the  drier  and,   for  vegetables,   less  favourable 
climate  of  Pans !     The   secret  of  it  all  is  that  the  French 
market  gardener,  in  addition  to  tilling   and  enriching  his 
ground  in  the  best  manner,  waters  thoroughly  and  repeatedly 
every  crop  that  requires  water  for  its  perfect  development.  . 
Our  gardens  are  no  more  prepared  to  encounter  a  great,  or 
even  an  unusual  scarcity  of  water,  than  they  are  to  meet  a 
second  deluge.     The  practice  of  dragging  water  considerable 
distances  in    pots  and    barrels  is  a   very  doubtful    good ; 
watering  is  useless   if  not  thoroughly  done.     I   need  not 
remind  the  reader  of  the  many  things  to  which  water  is 
almost  the  life.     Extract  the  water  from  a  juicy  Lettuce, 
or  any  other  appreciated  vegetable,  and  how  much  remains  ? 
Our  soils  are  of  course  saturated  with  water  in  winter,  when 
plants  do  not  want  it;  but  it  is  often  absent  when  they 
would  absorb  it  as  thirstily  as  the  hart  the  cooling  stream, 
and  when  the  absence  of  it  leaves  them  mere  accumulations 
of  tough  fibre.     I  am  not  sanguine  enough  to  hope  that  any 

H  H  2 


468       THE  MARKET  GARDENS  OF  PARIS. 

words  of  mine  can  induce  cultivators  to  adopt  something 
like  a  system  for  watering  gardens  effectively ;  but  there  can 
be  no  doubt  whatever  that  it  would  be  a  decided  advantage 
to  establish  immediately  in  every  large  kitchen  garden  a  small 
department  near  the  best  supply  of  water^  to  make  it  rich 
and  lights  and  keep  it  thoroughly  moist  during  the  dry  and 
warm  months ;  so  that  a  few  crisp  and  delicate  salads  and 
vegetables  may  not  during  a  dry  season  be  as  impossible 
with  us  as  upon  the  Sahara.  This  small  division  might  be 
established  in  most  places  without  any  but  the  most  trifling 
cost,  and  the  result  would  be  very  satisfactory  indeed.  Even 
a  few  very  rich  and  light  beds,  closely  cropped  and  looked 
after,  and  placed  near  a  good  supply  of  water,  would  repay 
the  cidtivator,  and  perhaps  soon  lead  him  to  adopt  the  same 
plan  of  giving  abundance  of  food  and  water  on  a  larger 
scale.  It  need  hardly  be  added  that  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  make  any  such  arrangement  in  any  very  moist 
districts  in  the  British  Isles ;  but  although  theoretically  our 
cUmate  is  very  moist,  there  are  many  parts  of  the  southern 
and  midland  counties  where  a  modification  of  the  Parisian 
plan  would  prove  a  decided  advantage. 

In  addition  to  the  abundant  watering  and  rich  manuring 
the  Parisian  market  gardeners  owe  a  great  deal  of  their 
success  to  a  close  system  of  rotation,  eight  crops  per  year 
being  frequently  gathered  from  the  ground.  Were  it  not 
so  the  cultivators  could  not  exist,  so  very  limited  is  the 
ground  each  possesses.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  surface 
in  one  garden  I  visited  was  devoted  to  Cos  lettuce,  and 
very  fine  specimens  of  it ;  but  beneath  them  there  was  a 
dark  green  carpet  of  leaves  very  close  to  the  ground — ^the 
leaves  of  the  Scarolle,  which  forms  such  an  excellent  salad, 
and  is  indeed  one  of  the  very  best  of  all  salads,  and  not  yet 
sufficiently  grown  in  England.  The  young  plants  have 
plenty  of  room  to  grow  now  amongst  the  closely-tied  up 
Cos  lettuce ;  but  the  moment  the  Cos  is  cut  for  market,  the 
Scarolle  has  full  liberty,  and  with  abundance  of  water  soon 
makes  wide  heads.  Then  perhaps  some  young  plants  of 
another  vegetable  are  slipped  in  at  regular  interviJs  in  the 
angles  between  four  plants  of  Scarolle,  which  crop  will  be 


THE  MARKET  OABDENS  OF  PARIS.       469 

vigorous  and  halfway  toward  perfection  when  the  great 
smooth  Endive  is  ready  for  the  market.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  cropping,  the  cultivator  described  to  me  that  of  a 
portion  of  his  ground  for  the  past  year.  In  the  earliest 
spring  the  ground  was  occupied  by  Cos  lettuce,  and  firom 
between  them  a  crop  of  Radishes  was  gathered.  Cauli- 
flowers were  planted  early  among  the  Cos,  and  as  they  ap- 
proached maturity  the  ground  was  of  course  wholly  occu- 
pied by  them,  as  one  could  not  well  put  anything  beneath 
a  crop  of  perfectly  grown  Cauliflowers.  When  they  were 
cut  in  May  and  June,  an  opportunity  occurred  of  giving 
the  ground  that  thorough  culture  and  preparation  which 
such  a  course  of  heavy  cropping  demands.  Then  a  crop 
of  Spinach  was  sown,  and  in  the  Spinach  Cos  lettuce.  As 
soon  as  the  Spinach  was  cleared  ofi^,  a  crop  of  Endive  was 
placed  alternately  with  the  Cos.  Then  small  Cauliflower 
plants  were  put  in,  yielding  a  fine  crop  in  the  autumn, 
and  after  them  a  small  quick  crop  like  Com  salad,  and 
afterwards  the  ground  was  covered  with  frames. 

Like  everything  else  in  Paris,  and  in  France  generally, 
the  condition  of  these  market  gardeners  has  much  improved 
during  the  past  generation.  Their  houses  are  humble 
enough  now,  but  I  am  told  by  M.  Courtois  Gerard,  a 
capital  authority  on  the  subject,  that  they  arc  palaces  com- 
pared to  what  he  remembers  them  to  have  been.  Some 
of  the  crops,  and  particularly  the  forced  crops,  are  now 
brought  to  invariable  perfection  in  low  narrow  wooden 
frames.  Eighty  or  ninety  years  ago,  however,  the  market 
gardening  of  Paris  was  much  less  perfect ;  fewer  crops  were 
gathered  during  the  year,  the  art  of  forcing  early  vegetables 
and  salads  was  in  its  infancy,  and  the  most  advanced  market 
gardeners  had  not  gone  beyond  the  use  of  the  cloche  to 
force  their  vegetables.  It  is  not  that  frames  were  not 
known  at  the  time,  as  they  were  known  in  Royal  and  other 
private  places,  but  they  had  not  entered  the  market 
garden.  In  1780  a  cultivator  named  Fournier  first  used 
frames,  and  with  such  success  in  forcing  that  a  great 
number  of  his  fellows  soon  imitated  him.  It  was  the 
same  individual  who  first  introduced  the  culture  of  the 


470  THE  MARKET   GARDENS   OF  PARIS. 

Cantaloupe  Melon,  and  he  also  first  grew  the  Spanisli  or 
Sweet  Potato.  The  first  who  forced  white  Asparagus  was 
one  Quentien^  about  the  year  1792;  the  green  Asparagus 
was  also  first  forced  by  the  same  about  1800.  One  Bas- 
nard  first  forced  the  Cauliflower  about  the  year  1811.  The 
first  forced  Cos  lettuces  appeared  about  1812^  and  the 
Endive  about  the  same  time  by  Baptiste  Quentien.  The 
Carrot  was  first  forced  in  1826  by  M.  Gros. 

The  workmen  employed  in  these  market  gardens  work> 
like  their  masters^  very  hard^  but  are  pretty  well  paid. 
From  inquiries  made  from  difierent  cultivators^  the  wages 
are  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  firancs  per  month  with 
board  and  lodging.  They  have  no  fixed  hours  for  work  as 
with  us,  but  in  summer  begin  with  the  dawn  and  in  winter 
hours  before  it.  They  often  commence  work  at  three  in 
the  morning,  and  continue  it  till  eight  in  the  evening  in 
summer.  In  the  dark  winter  mornings  they  cannot  of 
course  work  in  the  gardens,  but  they  can  take  the  produce 
to  market  and  go  for  the  ever  necessary  manure.  After 
a  visit  to  one  of  these  places  I  was  invited  by  the  pro- 
prietor to  take  a  glass  of  wme  with  him.  Hardly  were  we 
seated  to  this  before  he  spoke  some  words  from  the  door, 
and  presently  in  came  his  two  workmen,  sunburnt,  strong 
men,  working  barefooted  in  the  soft  moist  soil  of  the  garden, 
and  they  also  had  their  glass  of  Bordeaux,  touched  our 
glasses,  and  again  went  out  to  work.  I  afterwards  learnt 
that  this  was  the  rule  with  them — anything  the  master  has 
the  workmen  partake  of.  Under  these  circumstances  the  gulf 
of  distrust,  and  consequently  other  evils  that  exist  where 
the  workman  is  treated  as  a  far  inferior  being,  cannot  be. 
M.  Courtois  Gerard  says  that  to  cultivate  a  garden  of  two 
and  a  half  acres  devoted  to  forcing  in  frames,  and  open  air 
culture,  it  is  necessary  to  have  five  or  six  persons — ^that  is 
to  say,  the  master  and  mistress,  two  men,  a  girl  and  a  boy. 

As  to  the  masters,  I  was  informed  that  many  of  them 
could  not  read  or  write ;  but  noticed  notwithstanding  a  good 
barometer  in  each  house.  They  well  know  the  value  of  this 
instrument,  and  I  was  told  by  one  of  the  very  best  of  them 
that  it  was  of  the  greatest  use  to  him  in  his  cultivation^  by 
helping  him  to  take  precautionary  measures  and  adapt  his 


THE   MARKET   GARDENS   OF   PARIS.  471 

labour  to  the  weather.  This  individual  had  worked  four- 
teen years  at  the  business,  and  was  desirous  of  disposing  of 
his  garden,  feeling  rich  enough  to  retire  and  live  on  the 
fruits  of  his  labour.  These  men  have  their  vicissitudes  not- 
withstanding the  vigorous  industry  and  excellent  system 
of  culture  which  is  general  with  them.  Some  that  I 
visited  devote  a  considerable  portion  of  space  to  a  difficult 
crop — Cauliflower  seed.  This  takes  a  long  time — ^more  than 
a  year — ^to  bring  to  perfection ;  one  market  gardener  who 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  growing  large  and  precious  quan- 
tities of  it  for  Messrs.  Vilmorin,  Andrieux,  and  Co.,  had 
scarcely  gathered  two  pounds  of  it  in  consequence  of  the 
great  heat  of  the  season  of  1868. 

There  is  a  "  Societe  de  Secours  Mutuel ''  among  these 
market  gardeners.  To  give  an  example  of  the  way  they 
work,  I  have  merely  to  state  that  when  a  body  of  pro- 
vincial cultivators  were  almost  ruined  by  inundations,  the 
Paris  society  sent  them  more  than  1200  lbs.  weight  of  seeds 
to  begin  again  with.  Generally  they  seem  independent, 
and  are  said  to  accumulate  money ;  but  their  houses  do  not 
show  the  comfort  that  one  could  desire.  However,  few 
will  doubt  that  it  is  better  to  have  a  large  class  of  small 
proprietors  in  a  thrifty  and  independent,  if  very  humble 
condition,  than  one  individual  with  his  hundreds  of  acres, 
and  every  soul  employed  by  him  without  a  single  thing  in 
the  world  to  call  his  own,  except  it  be  misery,  poverty,  and 
degradation.  The  Paris  market  gardener  is  very  far  from 
being  mistaken  for  a  "  genteel ''  person,  or  putting  in  the 
smallest  claim  to  the 

"  Grand  old  name  of  gentleman, 
Defamed  by  evcnr  charlatan, 
And  soiled  by  all  ignoble  use  ;** 

but  he  is  a  thousand  degrees  better  than  the  poor  wretch 
working  in  a  London  market  garden,  who  is  practically  a 
slave,  and  a  very  wretched,  badly-fed,  badly-housed,  and 
badly-clad  slave  too. 

The  cultivation  of  the  Mushroom  is  of  vast  importance 
about  Paris ;  and  I  will  next  deal  with  the  doings  of  the 
Champignonnistes,  a  class  of  men  who  devote  themselves 
entirely  to  its  culture. 


472 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MUSHROOM   CULTURE. 

Mushroom  growing  as  carried  on  around^  or  rather  beneath 
Paris  and  its  environs,  is  the  most  extraordinary  example  of 
culture  that  I  have  ever  seen  either  above  or  below  ground^ 
under  glass  or  in  the  open  air.     To  give  the  reader  as  good 
an  idea  of  it  as  I  can  we  must  visit  one  of  the  great 
"  Mushroom  caves  ^*  at  Montrouge,  just  outside  the  fortifica^ 
tions  of  Paris,  on  the  southern  side.     The  surface  of  the 
ground  is  mostly  cropped  with  Wheat ;  but  here  and  there 
lie,  ready  to  be  transported  to  Paris,  blocks  of  white  stone, 
which  have  recently  been  brought  to  the  surface  through 
coalpit-like   openings.     There  is  nothing  like  a  "  quarry ,'' 
as  we  understand   it,  to  be   seen   about;  but  the  stone  is 
extracted    as  we    extract    coal,  and  with   no    interference 
whatever  with    the    surface  of  the   ground.     We    find    a 
"  Champignonniste'*  after  some  trouble,  and  he  accompanies 
us  across  some   fields  to  the  entrance  of  his  subterranean 
garden.     It  is  a  circular  opening  like  the  mouth  of  an  old 
well,  but  firom  it  protrudes  the  head  of  a  thick  pole  with 
sticks  thrust  through  it.     This  pole,  the  base  of  which  rests 
in  darkness  sixty  feet  below,  is  the  easiest  and  indeed  the 
only  way  by  which  human  beings  can  get  into   the   mine. 
I  had  an  idea  that  one  might  enter  sideways  and  in  a  more 
agreeable  manner,  but  it  was  not  so.     The  artist  who  after- 
wards descended  to  take  the  sketches  here  engraved  was  in 
such   a  state  of  trepidation  when  he  got  to  the  margin  and 
looked  down,  that  my  friend  M.  Durand  of  Bourg-la-Reine, 
who   was  kind   enough  to  get  these  two  sketches  taken  for 
me  at  very  considerable  trouble  to  himself,  seriously  medi- 
tated having  him  slung  in  cords.     Down  the  shaky   pole 
our  guide  creeps,  I  follow,  and  soon  reach  the  bottom,  from 


UUSHSOOH  CCLTUBE.  473 

which  little  passages  Tadiate.  A  few  Uttle  lamps  fixed  on 
pointed  sticks  are  placed  below,  andj  arming  ourselves  with 
one  each,  we  slowly  commence  exploring  tortaous  passages 
as  dark  as  night  and  as  still  as  death.  I  have  heard  that 
the  first  individual  who  commenced  Mushroom  growing  in 
these  catacomb-like  bmrowings  was  one  whoj  at  a  particu- 
larly glorions  epoch  of  the  history  of  Prance,  when  a  great 
many  more  brave  gar9ons  went  to  the  fight  than  returned 
from  the  victory,  preferred,  strange  to  say,  to  stay  at  home 
and  hide  himself  rather  than  form  a  unit  in  "  battle's  mag- 
nificently stem  array."  Industrious  a!nd  discreet  youth ! 
You  deserve  being  held  up  as  an  example  almost  as  much 
as  the  busy  bee  that  improves  each  "  shining  hour," 

TbB    passages    are 
narrow,  and  occasion-  F""-  280. 

ally  we  have  to  stoop 
On  each  hand  there 
are  little  narrow  beds 
of  half  -  decomposed 
stable  manure  runnmg  '_ 
along  the  wall  These 
have  been  made  quite  , 
recently,  and  have  not 
yet  been  spawned. 
Presently  we  arrive  at  Moatb  of  Mashiwm  Cave  «  Montrouge. 

others  in   which    the 

spawn  has  been  placed,  and  is  "  taking"  freely.  The  spawn 
in  these  caves  is  introduced  to  the  little  beds  by  means  of 
fiakes  taken  from  an  old  bed,  or,  still  better,  from  a  heap  of 
stable  manure  in  which  it  occurs  naturally.  Such  spawn  is 
preferred,  and  considered  much  more  valuable  than  that 
taken  from  old  beds.  Of  spawn  in  the  form  of  bricks,  as  in 
England,  there  is  none. 

The  Champignonniste  pointed  with  pride  to  the  way 
in  which  the  fiakes  of  spawn  had  begun  to  spread  through 
the  little  beds,  and  passed  on — sometimes  stoopiug  very  low 
to  avoid  the  pointed  stones  in  the  roof — to  where  the  beds 
were  in  a  more  advanced  state.  Here  we  saw  little,  smooth, 
patty-coloured  ridges  running  along  the  sides  of  the  pas- 


474  MUSHROOM   CULTURE. 

sagea,  and  wherever  tlie  rocky  subway  became  as  wide  as  a 
small  bedroom  two  or  three  little  beds  were  placed  parallel 
to  each  other.  These  beds  were  new^  and  dotted  all  over 
with  Mushrooms  no  bigger  than  Sweet  Pea  seeds,  and 
affording  an  excellent  prospect  of  a  crop.  Be  it  observed 
that  these  beds  contain  a  much  smaller  body  of  manure 
than  is  ever  the  case  in  our  gardens.  They  are  not  more 
than  twenty  inches  high,  and  about  the  same  width  at  the 
base ;  while  those  against  the  sides  of  the  passages  are  not 
so  large  as  those  shaped  like  little  Potato  pits,  and  placed  in 
the  open  spaces.  The  soil  with  which  they  are  covered  to  the 
depth  of  about  an  inch  is  nearly  white,  and  is  simply  sifted 
from  the  rubbish  of  the  stone-cutters  above,  giving  the 
recently  made  bed  the  appearance  of  being  covered  with 
putty. 

Although  we  are  from  seventy  to  eighty  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground  everything  looks  very  neat — ^in  fact, 
very  much  more  so  than  could  have  been  expected,  not 
a  particle  of  litter  being  met  with.  A  certain  length  of 
bed  is  made  every  day  in  the  year,  and  as  they  naturally 
finish  one  gallery  or  series  of  galleries  at  a  time,  the  beds 
in  each  have  a  similar  character.  As  we  proceed  to  those 
in  full  bearing,  creeping  up  and  down  narrow  passages, 
winding  always  between  the  two  little  narrow  beds  against 
the  wall  on  each  side,  and  passing  now  and  then  through 
wider  nooks  filled  with  two  or  three  little  beds,  day- 
light is  again  seen,  this  time  coming  through  another 
well-like  shaft,  formerly  used  for  getting  up  the  stone,  but 
now  for  throwing  down  the  requisite  materials  into  the 
cave.  At  the  bottom  lies  a  large  heap  of  the  white  earth 
before  alluded  to,  and  a  barrel  of  water — for  gentle  water- 
ings are  required  in  the  quiet,  cool,  black  stillness » of  these 
caves,  as  well  as  in  Mushroom-houses  on  the  upper  crust. 

Once  more  we  plunge  into  a  passage  as  dark  as  ink,  and 
find  ourselves  between  two  lines  of  beds  in  full  bearing, 
the  beautiful  white  button-like  Mushrooms  appearing  every- 
where in  profusion  along  the  sides  of  the  diminutive  beds, 
something  like  the  drills  which  farmers  make  for  green 
crops.     As  the  proprietor  goes  along  he  removes  sundry 


HDSHROOH    CULTDBE. 


475 


bunches  that  are  in  perfection,  and  leaves  them  on  the  spot, 
so  that  they  may  be  collected  with  the  rest  for  to-morroVa 
market.  He  gathers  lai^ely  every  day,  occaraonally  sending 
more  than  400  lb.  weight  per  day,  the  average  being  about 
300  lb.  A  moment  more  and  we  are  in  an  open  space,  a 
sort  of  chamber,  say  20  feet  by  12,  and  here  the  little  beds 
are  arranged  in  parallel  lines,  an  alley  of  not  more  than 
four  inches  separating  them,  the  sides  of  the  beds  being 
literally  blistered  all  over  with  Mushrooms.  There  is  one 
exception   on  half 

of  the  bed  and  for  F  "  ""ii 

about  ten  feet 
along  the  little 
Mushrooms  hare 
appeared  and  are 
appearing  but 
they  never  get 
larger  than  a  pea, 
but  shrivel  away, 
"  bewitched"  as  it 
were.  At  least 
such  was  the  in- 
ference to  be 
dravrn  Irom  the 
cultivator's  ex- 
pressions about  it. 
He  gravely  attri- 
buted it  to  a  ridi- 
culously supersti- 
tious cause.  Frequently  the  Mushrooms  grow  in  bunches 
or  "  rocks,"  as  they  are  called,  and  in  such  cases  those  that 
compose  the  little  mass  are  lifted  all  together. 

The  sides  of  one  bed  here  had  been  almost  stripped  by 
the  taking  away  of  such  bunches,  and  it  is  worthy  of  not« 
that  they  are  not  only  taken  out,  root  and  all,  when  being 
gathered,  but  the  very  spot  in  which  they  grew  is  scraped 
out,  BO  as  to  get  rid  of  every  trace  of  the  old  bunch,  and 
the  space  covered  with  a  little  earth  from  the  bottom  of  the 
heap.     It  is  the  habit  to  do  this  in  every  case,  and  when 


View  in  MuBhroom  Cave. 


476  MUSHROOM   CULTURE. 

the  gatherer  leaves  a  small  hole  from  which  he  has  pulled 
even  a  solitary  Mushroom^  he  fiUs  it  with  some  of  the  white 
earth  from  the  base^  no  doubt  intending  to  gather  other 
Mushrooms  from  the  same  spots  before  many  weeks  are  over. 
The  Mushrooms  look  very  white,  and  are  apparently  of 
prime  quality.  The  absence  of  all  littery  coverings  and 
dust^  and  the  daily  gatherings^  secure  them  in  what  we  may 
term  perfect  condition.  I  visited  this  cave  on  the  6th  of 
July,  1868,  and  doubt  very  much  if  at  that  season  a  more 
remarkable  crop  of  Mushrooms  could  be  anywhere  found 
than  was  presented  in  this  subterranean  chamber — a  mere 
speck  in  the  space  devoted  to  Mushroom  culture  by  one 
individual. 

When  I  state  that  there  are  six  or  seven  miles  run  of 
Mushroom  beds  in  the  ramifications  of  this  cave,  and  that 
their  owner  is  but  one  of  a  large  class  who  devote  themselves 
to  Mushroom  culture,  the  reader  will  have  some  oppor- 
tunity of  judging  of  the  extent  to  which  it  is  carried  on 
about  Paris.  These  caves  not  only  supply  the  wants  of  the 
city  above  them,  but  those  of  England  and  other  countries 
also,  large  quantities  of  preserved  Mushrooms  being  ex- 
ported, one  house  alone  sending  to  our  own  country  no  less 
than  14,000  boxes  annually.  There  were  some  traces  of 
the  teeth  of  rats  on  the  produce,  and  it  need  not  be  said 
that  these  enemies  are  not  agreeable  in  such  a  place ;  but 
they  did  not  seem  to  have  committed  any  serious  ravages, 
and  are  probably  only  casual  visitors,  who  take  the  first 
opportunity  of  obtaining  more  varied  food  than  is  afforded 
them  by  these  caves.  To  traverse  the  passages  any  further 
is  needless — there  is  nothing  to  be  seen  but  a  repetition  of 
the  culture  above  described,  every  available  inch  of  the  cave 
being  occupied.  We  again  find  our  way  to  the  bottom  of 
the  shaft,  carefully  mount  the  rather  shaky  pole  one  by 
one,  and  again  stand  in  the  hot  sun  in  the  midst  of  the 
ripe  Wheat.  In  traversing  the  fields,  two  things  relating 
to  Mushroom  culture  are  to  be  observed — Cheaps  of  white 
gritty  earth,  sifted  from  the  debris  of  the  white  stone,  and 
large  heaps  of  stable  manure  accumulated  for  Mushroom 
growing,  and  undergoing  preparation  for  it.     That  prepara- 


MUSHROOM   CULTURE.  ,  477 

tion  is  different  from  wliat  we  are  accustomed  to  give  it. 
It  is  ordinary  stable  manure^  not  droppings^  or  very  short 
stuffy  and  it  is  thrown  into  heaps  four  or  five  feet  high^  and 
perhaps  thirty  feet  wide.  The  men  were  employed  turning 
this  over,  the  mass  being  afterwards  stamped  down  with 
their  fcet^  a  water-cart  and  pots  being  used  to  thoroughly 
water  the  manure  where  it  is  dry  and  white. 

As  many  will  feel  an  interest  in  the  cave  culture  of  the 
Mushroom,  and  perhaps  wish  to  see  it  for  themselves,  I 
may  state  that  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  permission  to  visit 
the  caves,  and  many  persons  would  not  like  the  look  of  the 
'^ladder''  which  affords  an  entrance.  Even  with  a  well- 
known  Parisian  horticulturist  I  had  some  difficulty  in 
entering  them.  We  were  informed  that  one  Champignon- 
niste  in  the  same  neighbourhood  demands  the  exorbitant 
price  of  twenty  francs  for  a  visit  to  his  cave.  As  the  visit 
is  a  work  of  some  little  time,  no  visitor  should  put  the 
cultivators  to  this  trouble  without  offering  some  slight  re- 
compense— say  five  francs.  The  above  cave  is  but  a  sample 
of  many  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Paris. 

We  will  next  visit  a  Mushroom  cave  of  another  type 
at  some  little  distance  from  that  city.  It  is  situated  near 
IWpillon,  Mery-sur-Oise — a  place  which  may  be  reached 
in  an  hour  or  so  by  the  Chemin  de  fer  du  Nord,  passing  by 
Enghien,  the  valley  of  Montmorency  and  Pontoise,  and 
alighting  at  Auvers.  There  are  vast  quarries  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, both  for  building-stone  and  the  plaster  so  largely 
used  in  Paris.  The  materials  are  not  quarried  in  the  ordi- 
nary way  by  opening  up  the  ground,  nor  by  the  method 
employed  at  Montrouge  and  elsewhere  in  the  suburbs  of 
Paris,  but  so  that  the  interior  of  the  earth  looks  like  a  vast 
gloomy  cathedral.  In  1867  the  culture  was  in  full  force 
at  M^ry,  and  as  many  as  3000  lbs.  a  day  were  sometimes 
sent  from  thence  to  the  Paris  market;  but  the  Mushroom 
is  a  thing  of  peculiar  taste,  and  these  quarries  are  now 
empty — cleaned  out  and  left  to  rest.  After  a  time  the 
great  quarries  seem  to  become  tired  of  their  occupants,  or 
the  Mushrooms  become  tired  of  the  air;  the  quarries  are 
then  well  cleaned  out,  the  very  soil  where  the  beds  rested 


478 


HUSHROOU   CULTURE. 


Fia.  28a. 


being  scraped  away,  and  the  place  left  to  recrait  itaelf  for  a 
year  or  tro.  In  1867  M.  Benaudot  had  the  extraordi- 
nary lengi^h  of  over  twenty-one  miles  of  Mushroom  beds  in 
one  great  cave  at  M^ry,  last  year  there  were  sixteen  miles 
in  a  cave  at  Frepillon.  This  is  a  clean,  lonely  village,  jost 
tonching  on  the  gigantic  cemetery  which  M,  Haussmann 
has  projected. 

The  distant  view  of 
the  entrance  to  the 
qnames  has  much  the 
appearance  of  an  Eng- 
lish chalk  pit  Bat 
there  is  a  great  rude 
arch  cut  mto  the  rock, 
and  into  this  we  enter, 
meeting  presently  a 
waggon  commg  forth 
with  a  load  of  stones, 
the  waggoner  with 
lamp  m  hand  To  the 
visitor  who  has  seen 
the  low  Mushroom 
caves  near  Paris,  where 
it  id  sometimes  neces- 
sary to  stoop  very  low 
to  avoid  knocking 
one's  head  against  the 
roof  rocks,  the  surprise 
13  great  on  getting  a 
little  way  in.  At  least 
it  is  so  as  soon  as  one 
can  see;  the  darkness  is  so  profound  that  a  few  candles  or 
lamps  merely  make  it  more  visible.  The  tunnel  we  traverse 
is  nearly  regularly  arched,  masonry  being  used  here  and 
there,  so  as  to  render  the  support  secure  and  symmetrical, 
the  arches  being  flat  at  the  top  for  six  feet  or  so,  and  about 
twenty-five  feci  high;  sometimes  five  feet  higher. 

Presently  we  turn  to  the  right,  and  a  scene  like  a  vast 
subterranean   rock    temple    presents   itself.      At    one    end 


Entrance  to  large  SublorraDCon  Quarry. 


MUSHROOM   CCLTDRE. 


479 


are  several  of  hb  vith  lamps,  admiring  the  young  Mushrooms 
budding  all  over  the  rows  of  beds  at  our  feet,  vhich,  serpent- 
]ike>  are  long  and  slim,  and  coil  away  into  the  darkness. 
At  about  150  feet  distance  there  is  a  group  of  three  men  and 


PInn  of  large  Sublcrranean  Quarry  at  Foriei  Tcrree,  Frepillon.  S,  S,  S,  repreient 
the  plan  of  the  btuea  oC  the  huge  eupportiag  pillars,  ami  (ho  dolled  Hoes  their 
union  with  the  roof.  D,  C,  ahons  the  line  of  the  sec tiun  shewn  in  the  following 
cut,  and  P,  place  for  preparing  (ho  plaster. 

a  boy,  each  with  a  lamp,  again  dispelling  the  darkness  from 
the  Mushroom  beds,  and  occupied  in  placing  small  quantities 
of  a  sort  of  white  clayey  sand  in  the  spots  whence  gatherings 
have  been  made  a  few  hours  previously.  From  both  sides 
of  this  gloomy  avenue  the  dark  openings  of  others  depart  at 


480  UUSHBOOM   CULTUEE. 

Bbort  interrals,  and  the  floor  of  all  is  covered  trith  Mashroom 
beds,  sometimes  mnaing  along  the  passages,  sometimes  across 
them.  These  beds  are  about  twenty-two  uiches  high  and 
as  mncb  in  diameter,  and  are  covered  with  silver  sand  and 
a  sort  of  white  pntty-like  day  in  about  equal  proportions. 
In  some  parts  of  the  cave  the  work  of  ripping  out  the  stone 
by  powder  and  simple  machioery  continually  goes  on.  The 
arches  follow  the  veining  of  the  stone,  so  to  apeak  j  their  lov^ 
parts  are  of  hard  stone,  the  upper  ones  of  soft,  except  the 
very  top,  which  is  again  hard.  There  is  but  a  slight  crust 
of  stone  above  the  apex  of  each  arch,  and  above  that  the 
earth  and  trees.     Buuning  along  in  parallel  lines,  and  dis- 


1  A  fi 


Section  rollowing  the  line  C,  D,  in  Fig.  2S3. 

appearing  firom  view  in  the  darkness,  one  knows  not  what  to 
compare  them  to,  unless  it  be  to  barked  Kne  trees  in  the 
hold  of  a  ship. 

Everywhere  on  the  surface  of  these  little  beds  small 
Mushrooms  were  peering  forth  in  quantity ;  as  the  beds  are 
regularly  gathered  from  every  day,  no  very  large  ones  are 
seen.  They  arc  preferred  at  about  the  size  of  a  chestnut, 
and  are  removed  root  and  branch,  a  small  portion  of  finely 
sifted  earth  being  placed  in  each  hole,  so  as  to  level  the  bed 
as  in  the  caves  at  Montrouge.  If  the  old  superstition  that 
a  Mushroom  never  grows  after  being  seen  by  humaji  eyes 
were  tme,the  trade  of  a  Champignonniste  would  never  answer 
here,  as  the  little  budding  individuals  come  within  view 


MUSHROOM    CULTURE.  4S1 

every  day  during  the  gathering  and  earthing  operations. 
The  most  perfect  cleanliness  is  observed  everywhere  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  these  beds^  and  the  whole  surface  of  each 
avenue  is  covered  by  them,  leaving  passages  of  ten  inches  or  a 
foot  between  the  beds.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  (Sept.  29, 
1868)  the  crops  of  the  cultivator  were  reduced  to  their  lowest 
ebb,  and  yet  about  400  pounds  per  day  were  sent  to  market. 
The  average  daily  quantity  from  this  cave  is  about  880 
pounds,  and  sometimes  that  is  nearly  doubled.  It  may  be 
supposed  that  the  profits  from  such  an  extensive  culture  are 
great ;  and  so  they  are,  but  the  expense  is  great  also.  The 
proprietor  informed  me  that  culture  on  a  more  limited  scale 
than  he  pursued  last  year  at  Mery  gave  the  best  return  in 
proportion  to  expense,  the  care  and  supervision  required  by 
so  many  miles  of  beds  being  too  great. 

All  the  manure  employed  is  brought  from  Paris  by  rail, 
as  the  place  is  twenty-five  miles  from  that  city  by  road. 
In  the  first  place,  so  much  per  horse  per  month  is  paid 
in  Paris  for  the  manure;  then  it  has  to  be  carted  to  the 
railway  station  and  loaded  in  the  waggons;  next  it  is 
brought  to  the  station  of  Auvcrs,  and  afterwards  carted  a 
couple  of  miles  to  the  quarries,  paying  a  toll  for  a  bridge 
over  the  Oise  on  the  way.  That  surely  is  difficulty  enough 
for  a  cultivator  to  begin  with  !  Then  it  is  placed  in  great 
flat  heaps  a  yard  deep  by  about  thirty  long  and  ten  wide, 
not  far  removed  from  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  here  it  is 
prepared,  turned  over  and  well  mixed  three  times,  and  as  a 
rule  watered  twice.  About  five  or  six  weeks  are  occupied 
in  the  preparation,  long  manure  requiring  more  time  than 
short.  The  watering  is  not  usually  done  regularly  over  the 
mass,  but  chiefly  where  it  is  dry  and  overheated.  Every 
day  manure  is  brought  from  Paris ;  every  day  new  beds  are 
made  and  old  ones  cleared  out — the  spent  manure  being 
used  for  garden  purposes,  particularly  in  surfacing  or 
mulching,  so  as  to  prevent  over-radiation  from  the  ground 
in  summer.  The  chief  advantage  the  cultivator  here  has  is 
the  facility  of  taking  his  manure  or  anything  else  in  or  out 
in  carts,  as  easily  as  if  the  beds  were  made  in  the  open  air. 
Near  Paris,  on  the  contrary,  everything  has  to  be  sent  up 

I  I 


482 


UC6HB00H  Ct7LTDRE. 


and  doTm  through  shafts  hke  those  of  old  wells,  and  the 
men  have  to  creep  up  and  down  a  rough  pole  bke  mice 
Man^  meii  are  employed  in  the  culture  the  daily  examiua 
tion  of  sixteen  miles  of  heds  being  a  considerable  item  m 
itself  Here  and  there  a  bamer  m  the  form  of  straw  nailed 
between  laths  may  be  seen  blocking  up  the  great  arch  to  a 
height  of  BIX  feet  or  so  This  is  to  prevent  currents  of 
air  windenng  about 
^'°  ^^  through  the  vast  pas- 

sages 

The  mode  of  pre 
paring  the  spawn  here 
IS  entirely  different  to 
ours  They  prefer 
virgm  spawn — that  is 
to  say  spawn  found 
naturally  in  a  heap 
of  manure  But  as 
this  matenal  cannot 
be  obtained  in  euSB 
cient  quantity  to  meet 
the  wants  of  such  ex 
tensne  growers  thev 
put  a  small  portion  of 
it  into  a  Mushroom 
bed  to  spread,  and 
instead  of  allowing 
this  bed  to  produce 
Mushrooms  it  is  all 
used  as  spawn,  and 
is  valued  more  than 
any  other.  Of  course 
abundance  of  epawn  occurs  in  the  old  beds,  but  it  is  never 
used  directly.  It  is,  however,  frequently  employed  to 
spawn  a  small  bed  when  virgin  spawn  cannot  be  obtained. 
In  this  case  the  small  bed  devoted  to  the  propagation  of 
spawn  is  placed  in  the  open  air,  and  covered  with  straw, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  permeated  with  the  spawn  it  is  carried 
into  the  caves  aud  used.     As  the  making  and  spawning  of 


UUSHROOM  CtJLTUAE.  483 

beds  is  a  process  continually  going  on,  a  bed  of  this  sort 
must  be  ready  at  all  times.  It  is  never  made  into  bricks 
as  with  us,  but  simply  spread  through  short,  partly- decom- 
posed manure. 

I  was  informed  that  coal  mines  are  not  adapted  for  grow- 
ing Mushrooms,  and  the  smallest  particle  of  iron  in  the  beds 
of  manure  is  avoided  by  the  spawn,  a  circle  around  it 
remaining  inert.  It  is  said  to  be  the  same  with  coal.  If 
an  cvil-disposcd  workman  wishes  to  injure  bis  employer  he 
has  only  to  slip  along  by  the  beds  with  a  pocketful  of  rusty 
old  uails  and  insert  one  here  and  there. 


The  beds  remain  in  good  beinng  generally  about  two 
months  but  sometmacs  last  twice  and  three  tmies  ai  long 
A  useful  contn^ance  for  facilitating  the  watenng  of  the  beds 
has  lately  been  in\eQtcd  it  consists  of  a  portable  nater 
cistern  to  be  strapped  to  the  back  and  fitted  with  a  rose  and 
tubing,  ao  that  a  workman  may  carry  a  lai^er  quantity  of 
.  water,  and  apply  it  more  i-cgularly  and  gently  than  with  the 
old-fashioned  watering-pots — while  one  hand  is  left  free  to 
cany  the  lamp.  An  iron  frame  has  also  been  invented,  in 
which  the  bed  is  first  compressed  and  shaped,  the  frame 
being  then  reversed  and  the  bed  placed  in  position, 
Another  invention  for  earthing  the  beds  over  as  soon  as  the 
spawn  has  taken  will  soon  be  in  operation,  if  not  already  so. 
ii2 


484  MUSHROOM  CULTURE. 

As  on  an  average  2500  yards  of  beds  are  made  every 
months  simple  mechanical  contrivances  to  facilitate  the 
operation  will  prove  of  the  greatest  advantage  to  the 
cultivator. 

In  addition  to  the  caves  in  the  localities  above  alluded  to 
there  are  other  places  near  Paris  where  the  culture  is  carried 
on — notably  at  Moulin  de  la  Boche^  Sous  BicStre,  near  St. 
Germain,  and  also  at  Bagneux.  The  equability  of  temperature 
in  the  caves  renders  the  culture  of  the  Mushroom  possible  at 
all  seasons;  but  the  best  crops  are  gathered  in  winter,  and  con- 
sequently that  is  the  best  time  to  see  them.  I,  however,  saw 
abundant  crops  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  past  very  hot  season. 
These  Mushroom  caves  are  under  government  supervision,  and 
are  regularly  inspected  like  any  other  mines  in  which  work 
is  going  on.  As  regards  the  depth  at  which  this  culture  is 
carried  on,  it  varies  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  feet,  some- 
times reaching  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  from  the  surface  of  the  earth.  They  are  so  large 
that  sometimes  people  are  lost  in  them.  In  one  instance 
the  proprietor  of  a  large  cave  went  astray,  and  it  was  three 
days  before  he  was  discovered,  although  soldiers  and  volun- 
teers in  abundance  were  sent  down.  Is  it  possible  that  in 
a  great  mining  and  excavating  country  like  ours  we  cannot 
establish  the  same  kind  of  industry  ? 

Culture  in  Cellars  and  in  the  Open  Air, 

Of  course  they  are  only  professional  Mushroom  growers 
that  carry  on  such  extensive  operations  as   those  just  de- 
scribed,   but   the    Mushroom   is 
Fio.287.  also  grown  extensively  in  cellars 

/0^k       a^nd  like   places.     As   an  analo- 
M/  i\ml^     gous    mode    of   culture  is   more 
li/rP  1^^    likely  to  meet  general  wants,  the 
g  /k    I  vWW    following    observations    on    the 

Ne^j-made  Murh^om^Bersr    subject    may   prove    acceptable. 

They  are  by  M.  Laizier,  the  Pre- 
sident of  the  Mutual  Aid  Society  formed  among  the  Paris 
market  gardeners. 


IIOSHEOOM   CDLTUEE. 


485 


"  The  mannre  to  be  used  for  this  method  of  cultivation 
should  be  prepared  in  the  same  way  as  that  for  the  open-air 
system   described  further  on.     Preference  should  be  given 
to    a    cellar     producing 
saline     efflorescence ;     it  Fia.  288. 

should  be  as  dark  as  pos- 
sible, and  exposed  to  no 
draughts.  The  warmth 
generated  by  the  fermen- 
tation of  the  manure  will 
subside,  and  the  sowing 
of  the  spawn  must  not 
be  commenced  until  the 
temperature   of  the  bed 

has  fallen  below  76"  Fahr. ;  if  it  is   above  this  the  layers 

of  spawn  arc  liable  to  be  burnt.     Beds  can  be  made  ia 

cellars  in  many  ways.     Those  made  in  the   middle  should 

always  be  formed  with  two  sides, 

while  those  against  the  walls  should 

only  be  half  as  thick,  on  account 

of  their  having  only  ouc    useful 

Hide.    It  is  also  possible  to  arrange 

them  on  shelves,   one   above    the 

other.     For   this   purpose   strong 

bars  of  iron  are  driven   into  the 

walls,    upon    which     arc    placed 

'  shelves  of  the  proper  size  covered 

'  with  earth,  upon  which  is  formed 

a  bed,  that  is  treated  exactly  as 

those    made    upon     the    ground. 

1  These  beds  are  just  as  productive 

as  any  of  the  other  kinds.     They 

may  even  be  made  on  the  bottoms 

of  casks,  which  should  be  at  least 
Pjraniid.il  MuBhroom  Bed  on      ^  ,.    ■       ■       -        j-         .  j 

Fluor  of  Cellnr.  ™o    '<^^^    SIX    m    diameter;    and 

they  are  built  up  in  the  shape  of  a 
sugarloaf,  about  three  feet  in  height,  and  the  pieces  of  spawn 
are  placed  an  inch  and  a  quarter  deep,  and  sixteen  inches  apart; 
A  barrel  is  sawn  crossways  into  two  pieces,  each  forming 


486 


MQSHBOOH  CULTURE. 


a  tub.  Holes  are  made  in  the  bottom  of  each,  and 
thin  layer  of  good  soil  is  spread  over  them  inside.  Th 
are  then  filled  with  good  well  prepared  stable  manure,  ji 
like  that  used  in  the  case  of  ordinary  Mushroom  bet 
the  different  layers  of  dung  in  each  tub  being  well  pren 
down.  When  the  tub  is  half  full,  six  or  seven  good  pieces 
spawn  are  placed  on  the  snrfacej  and  the  remainder  is  pil 
up  with  manure,  which  is  well  pressed  dowQ,  the  operatii 
being  completed  by  giving  to  the  heap  the  form  of  a  don 
The  tubs  thus  prepared  are  placed  in  a  perfectly  dark  pi 
of  a  cellar,  and  eight  or  ten  days  afterwards  the  dm 
is  taken  up  until  the  spawn  is  visible,  in  order  to  s 
whether  it  has  coi 
^">-^^-  menced    to   vegeta 

and  develope  little  fil 
ments.  If  the  spav 
has  struck,  the  suria 
must  be  covered  wi 
soil,  care  being  taki 
to  use  only  that  whii 
is  fresh  and  proper 
prepared.  The  n 
eesaity  of  procurii 
good  Mushroo 
spawn  cannot  be  too  strongly  insisted  upon,  this  beii 
the  indispensable  condition  for  arriving  at  a  good  r 
suit.  An  excellent  kind  is  sometimes  met  with  that  b: 
been  formed  spontaneously  in  some  old  dungheap,  whii 
is  called  virgin  spawn.  When  this  cannot  be  procure 
excellent  spawn  may  be  formed  in  the  following  manner  :- 
A  little  bed  of  stable  manure  is  prepared,  either  in 
cellar  or  in  the  open  air,  and  sown  with  good  ordinal 
Mushroom  spawn,  the  proper  amount  of  care  alreac 
described  being  bestowed  upon  it.  As  soon  as  the  Musi 
rooms  appear  on  the  surface  of  the  bed  the  spawn  remainii 
must  be  speedily  removed  and  placed  in  a  dry,  airy  sitoatio 
The  spawn  thus  prepared  can  be  preserved  for  two  or  three  i 
even  four  years.  Specimens  have  been  kept  as  long  as  fou 
teen  years,  from  which  excellent  results  have  been  obtained 


HaBhrooEDB  grown  ia  bottom  of  old  Cask. 


MUSHROOM   CULTURE.  4S7 

We  will  next  turn  to  the  culture  of  the  Mushroom  in 
the  open  air.  In  old  times  the  market  gardeners  of  Paris 
used  to  grow  the  Mushroom  amongst  their  ordinary  crops 
with  great  profit,  hut  since  the  Champignonnistes  cultivate 
it  under  no  danger  from  cold  in  the  caves,  the  market 
gardeners,  who  used  to  raise  it  to  a  great  extent  in  the  open 
air,  do  so  now  in  a  lesser  degree.  They  hegin  with  the 
preparation  of  the  manure,  and  collect  that  of  the  horse  for 
a  month  or  six  weeks  before  they  make  the  beds ;  this  they 
prepare  in  some  firm  spot  of  the  market-garden,  and  take 
from  it  all  rubbish,  particles  of  wood,  and  miscellaneous 
matters;  for,  say  they,  the  spawn  is  not  fond  of  these 
bodies.  After  sorting  it  thus,  they  place  it  in  beds  two  feet 
thick,  or  a  little  more,  pressing  it  with  the  fork.  When 
this  is  done  the  mass  or  bed  is  well  stamped,  then  thoroughly 
watered,  and  finally  again  pressed  down  by  stamping. 
It  is  left  in  this  state  for  eight  or  ten  days,  by  which 
time  it  has  begun  to  ferment,  after  which  the  bed 
ought  to  be  well  turned  over  and  re-made  on  the  same  place, 
care  being  taken  to  place  the  manure  that  was  near  the 
sides  of  the  first-made  bed  towards  the  centre  in  the  turning 
and  re-making.  The  mass  is  now  left  for  another  ten 
days  or  so,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  manure  is  about 
in  proper  condition  for  making  the  beds  that  are  to  bear 
the  Mushrooms.  Little  ridge-shaped  beds — about  twenty- 
six  inches  wide  and  the  same  in  height — are  then  formed  in 
parallel  lines  at  a  distance  of  twenty  inches  one  from  the 
other. 

In  a  market  garden  they  may  stretch  over  a  considerable 
extent.  Their  length  being  determined  by  the  wants 
of  the  grower.  The  beds  once  made  of  a  firm,  close- 
fitting  texture,  the  manure  soon  begins  to  warm  again,  but 
does  not  become  unwholesomely  hot  for  the  spread  of  the 
spawn.  When  the  beds  have  been  made  some  days,  the 
cultivator  spawns  them,  having  of  course  ascertained  be- 
forehand that  the  heat  is  genial  and  suitable.  Generally 
the  spawn  is  inserted  within  a  few  inches  of  the  base,  and 
at  about  thirteen  inches  apart  in  the  line.  Some  cultivators 
insert  two  lines,  the  second  about  seven  inches  above  the 


488  MUSHROOM    CULTURE. 

first.  In  doing  so,  it  -would  of  course  be  well  to  make  the 
holes  for  the  spawn  in  an  alternate  manner.  The  spawn  is 
inserted  in  flakes  about  the  size  of  three  fingers,  and  then 
the  manure  is  closed  in  over,  and  pressed  firmly  around  it. 
This  done,  the  beds  are  covered  with  about  six  inches  of 
dean  litter.  Ten  or  twelve  days  afterwards  the  growers  visit 
the  beds,  to  see  if  the  spawn  has  taken  well.  When  they  see 
the  white  filaments  spreading  in  the  bed  they  know  that 
the  spawn  has  taken;  if  not,  they  take  away  the  spawn 
they  suppose  to  be  bad  and  replace  it  with  better.  But, 
using  good  spawn,  and  being  practised  hands  at  the  work, 
they  rarely  fail  in  this  particular ;  and  when  the  spawn  is 
seen  spreading  well  through  the  bed,  then,  and  not  before, 
they  cover  the  beds  with  fresh  sweet  soil  to  the  depth  of 
about  an  inch  or  so.  For  cover,  the  little  pathway  between 
the  beds  is  simply  loosened  up,  and  the  rich  soil  of  the 
market  garden  applied  equally,  firmly,  and  smoothly  with  a 
shovel.  With  these  open-air  beds  they  succeed  in  getting 
Mushrooms  in  winter.  A  covering  of  abundance  of  litter  is 
put  on  immediately  after  the  beds  are  earthed,  and  kept  there 
as  a  protection.  They  have  not  long  to  wait  till  the  beds 
are  iu  full  bearing,  and  when  they  are  in  that  state  it  is 
thought  better  to  examine  and  gather  from  the  beds  every 
second  day,  or  even  every  day  where  there  are  many  beds. 
And  thus  they  grow  excellent  Mushrooms,  and  in  great 
quantity,  all  the  further  attention  required  being  to  renew 
the  covering  when  it  gets  rotten,  and  an  occasional  watering 
in  a  very  dry  season. 


489 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    CULTURE    OF   SALADS. 

The  culture  of  salads  for  the  Paris  market  is  not  merely 
good — it  is  perfection.  Not  only  do  the  French  gardeners 
supply  their  own  markets  with  delicious  salads  all  through 
the  winter  and  early  spring  months,  hut  also,  to  a  consider- 
able extent,  those  of  some  other  countries,  and  send  vast 
quantities  to  the  English  markets.  Now  it  will  probably 
occur  to  the  reader  that  climate  is  the  cause  of  the  supe- 
riority of  the  French  in  this  respect,  and,  indeed,  some  prac- 
tical men  repeatedly  say  so.  Nothing  can  be  more  fallacious 
than  this  belief;  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  affirming  that, 
by  the  adoption  of  the  method  to  be  presently  described, 
as  good  salads  as  ever  went  to  the  Paris  markets  may  be 
grown  in  England  and  Ireland  during  the  coldest  months 
of  winter  and  spring.  It  is  simply  nonsense  to  say  that  it 
is  the  effect  of  climate ;  the  winters  in  northern  France  are 
severer  than  our  own,  and  I  know  many  spots  in  England 
and  Ireland  which  arc  preferable  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Paris  for  this  culture.  Near  that  city  I  have  often  seen 
beautiful  Cos  and  Cabbage  lettuces  looking  as  fresh  under 
their  coverings  in  the  middle  of  winter,  when  the  earth  was 
frost-bound,  as  the  budding  Lilac  in  May :  had  they  been 
treated  as  ours  usually  are,  they  would  have  presented  a 
very  different  appearance.  At  all  times  of  the  year  the 
gardens  in  which  salads  are  grown  round  Paris  are 
beautiful  examples  of  cultivation.  In  the  spring  and 
simimer,  when  they  are  grown  in  the  open  air,  nothing  can 
look  more  healthy;  but  it  is  their  condition  in  the  cold 
season,  when  little  or  nothing  can  be  done  with  them  out 
of  doors,  that  demands  most  attention  from  us.  As  very 
ordinary  cultivation  suffices  to  grow  them  with  us  in  the 


490  THE  CULTURE  OP  SALADS. 

favourable  parts  of  the  year,  and  in  the  other  our  markets 
are  supplied  from  France,  it  is  obvious  that  it  is  as  regards 
the  winter  and  early  spring  supplies  that  we  want  improve* 
ment.     That  improvement  is  easily  secured. 

The  first  and  the  chief  thing  to  do  towards  it  is  to  pro- 
cure some  of  the  large  bell  glasses  (cloches)  used  by  the 
French  for  this  purpose,  which  are  more  fully  described 
in  the  chapter  on  horticultural  implements.  They  are 
cheap — and  they  require  no  repairs,  and  are  easily  cleaned 
and  stored  when  not  required.  The  troublesome  task  of 
giving  air  is  done  away  with  in  their  case.  Without  air 
on  "  every  possible  occasion  "  the  British  gardener  attempts 
nothing  under  glass.     By  adopting  this  simple  article,  he 

may  forego  that  ceaseless  trouble 
Fio.  291.  throughout  the  winter  and  early 

spring.  In  the  hotter  weeks  of 
autumn,  these  glasses  are  tilted  up 
on  one  side  for  an  inch  or  so,  with 
a  bit  of  stone  placed  underneath; 
but  when  once  winter  comes  in 
earnest,  then  down  they  go  quite 
close,  and  are  all  through  the 
Fonr  plants  of  tho  Lettuce  Petite  winter  in  the  same    condition  as 

Noire  under  the  Cloche  early       ,     ^  ,,  -xr      t  •  -ri 

in  October.  what  we  call  Wardian  cases.     By 

the  way,  the  French  recognised 
this  principle  long  before  we  did,  and  what  is  more,  have 
made  a  far  more  practical  use  of  it.  For  all  sorts  of  winter 
salad-growing  this  huge  bell  glass  of  theirs  is  infinitely  su- 
perior to  anything  that  we  use  for  like  purposes.  The 
plants  get  full  light  at  all  times,  and,  while  perfectly  pre- 
served from  the  filth  and  splashing  of  the  rains  in  winter, 
are  not  in  the  least  "  drawn  "  or  injured  by  the  confinement, 
the  light  coming  in  so  freely  at  all  points. 

The  glasses  are  nearly  sixteen  inches  in  diameter,  and 
about  as  much  in  height.  For  the  winter  work  they  are 
sometimes  placed  on  a  sloping  spot  with  a  sunny  aspect,  or 
the  ground  is  thrown  into  beds,  each  wide  enough  to 
accommodate  three  lines  of  glasses.  In  early  autumn  these 
beds  are  made  and  the  plants  placed  upon  them,  so  that 


— «,"*     -"At'-a 


THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS.  491 

they  can  be  readily  covered  by  the  bell  glasses  when  the 
time  comes  that  growth  is  checked  in  the  open  air.  It 
should  be  added  that  the  ground  chosen  is  thoroughly  rich, 
light,  and  well  and  deeply  stirred,  and  the  Lettuces  are  sown 
at  intervals  of  a  fortnight  or  so,  so  as  to  secure  a  succession, 
and  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  the  various  kinds.  The 
plants  put  out  in  September  for  the  early  and  mid-autumn 
supply  may  not  require  to  be  covered  if  the  weather  be  fine ; 
and  if  they  do,  the  glasses  are  tilted  up  a  little  as  before 
described.  But  when  the  sun  begins  to  fail  and  the  cold 
rains  to  check  growth,  about  the  end  of  October,  then  the 
crop  to  be  cut  in  the  following  month  must  be  covered; 
and  when  towards  Christmas  the  frost  begins  to  take  hold 
of  the  ground,  the  glasses  must  be  firmly  pressed  down,  and 
a  deposit  of  leaves  and  litter  placed  around  them. 

Fio.  292. 


6ft.  Zfl 

Sloping  Bed  for  tlireo  rows  of  Cloches. 

Thus,  while  everything  else  is  at  rest  in  the  grip  of  ice, 
the  plants  will  be  kept  perfectly  free  from  frost,  receiving 
abundant  light  from  above,  and  growing  as  fresh  as  April 
leaves.  Of  course  a  deeper  layer  of  this  surrounding  litter 
will  be  necessary  in  case  of  severe  frost  than  in  early  winter. 
Covering  them  a  little  more  than  half-way  up  with  a  rather 
compact  body  of  leaves  and  litter,  efiectually  secures  them 
from  sharp  frosts.  When  very  severe  frosts  occur,  mats 
made  of  straw  are  spread  over  the  tops  of  the  glasses ;  and 
should  heavy  falls  of  snow  occur  while  these  mats  are  on, 
they  will  enable  the  cultivator  to  carry  it  bodily  away  from 
the  bed  or  beds ;  for  it  should  not  be  allowed  to  melt  on 
the  beds  or  in  the  alleys  between.  In  late  spring  the  cloche 
is  not  required,  nor  is  it  for  any  except  those  crops  that 
require  artificial  assistance.      Thus  the  March  and  April 


492  THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS. 

supply  is  planted  in  October  on  a  bed  of  light  soil,  with  a 
surfacing  of  an  inch  or  so  of  thoroughly  rotten  manure  or 
leaf  mould.  These  little  plants  are  allowed  to  remain  all 
through  the  winter  unprotected ;  and  when  in  spring  the  most 
forward  Cloche  Lettuces  are  cut,  the  glasses  are  immediately 
placed  over  the  most  advanced  and  promising  of  the  little 
ones  that  have  remained  exposed.  By  that  time  they  have 
begun  to  start  up,  encouraged  by  the  early  spring  sun,  and 
firom  the  moment  they  receive  the  additional  warmth  and 
steady  temperature  of  the  cloche  they  commence  to  unfold 
the  freshest  and  most  juicy  of  leaves,  and  finish  by  becoming 
those  great-hearted  and  tender  products  which  one  may 
see  in  such  fine  condition  in  the  Paris  markets  in  early 
spring.  In  the  first  instance  three  or  five  little  plants  may 
be  put  under  each  glass,  and  these  thinned  out  and  used  as 
they  grow,  so  that  eventually  but  one  is  left,  and  that, 
without  exaggeration,  often  grows  nearly  as  big  as  the  glass 
itself.  Happily,  no  water  is  required,  as  the  ground 
possesses  suflBicient  moisture  in  winter  and  spring,  and  eva- 
poration is  prevented  by  the  glasses  and  the  protecting 
litter  that  covers  the  space  between  them.  Thus  a  genial, 
agreeable  moisture  is  kept  up  at  all  times,  and  the  very 
conditions  that  suit  Lettuces  are  preserved  by  the  simplest 
means. 

With  the  same  glasses  the  various  small  saladings  may 
be  grown  to  perfection,  or  receive  a  desirable  start.  Thus, 
for  instance,  if  Com  Salad  be  desired  perfectly  clean  and 
fresh  in  mid-winter,  it  may  be  obtained  by  sowing  it  between 
the  smaller  Lettuces  grown  under  these  glasses ;  and  so  with 
any  other  small  salad  or  seedling  that  may  be  gathered  or 
removed  without  loss  before  or  at  the  time  the  more  im- 
portant crop  requires  all  the  room.  These  bell  glasses  will 
be  found  of  quite  as  much  advantage  in  the  British  garden 
as  they  are  in  the  French ;  they  will  render  possible  the 
production  of  as  fine  winter  salads  in  our  gardens  as  ever 
the  French  grew ;  they  will  enable  us  to  supply  our  own 
markets  with  an  important  commodity,  for  which  a  good 
deal  of  money  now  goes  out  of  the  country ;  and,  not  least, 
their  judicious  use  will  make  fresh  and  excellent  salads 


THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS. 


493 


Fm.  293. 


possible  in  winter.  At  present  the  produce  is  so  inferior 
and  so  dirty  at  that  season^  that  it  is  generally  avoided,  and 
rightly  so ;  for  Lettuces  when  hard  and  wiry  from  alterna- 
tions of  frost,  sleet,  and  rains — slug-eaten  and  half-covered 
with  the  splashings  of  the  ground,  above  which  they  hardly 
rise — are  not  worth  eating  or  buying.  And  though  they 
may  be  grown  well  in  frames  and  pits,  the  method  herein 
described  is  better  and  simpler  than  that,  and  the  Lettuces 
thus  produced  are  far  finer  than  those 
grown  in  English  gardens  in  winter. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  this 
mode  of  growing  salad  was  made 
early  in  1867.  Since  then  I  have 
had  farther  opportunities  of  studying 
the  subject,  and  it  now  appeal's  to 
me  that  to  discuss  it  in  a  general 
way  is  not  suflBicient.  To  under- 
stand   the    cloche    and    its    use    will    Diagram  showing  the  seve- 

not  suflBce :  we  must  observe  the  cul-     ^al  stages  of  Lettuce  Cul- 

«    ,,  .   ^.  -1    1   r.  1        ture    under    the   Cloche. 

ture    of    the  varieties    suited  for    eacJl      The  minute  dot^  represent 

season,  beginning  with  the  Lettuce 
Petite  Noire,  a  distinct  winter  kind, 
and  requiring  peculiar  treatment. 

Culture  of  the  Lettuce  Petite 
Noire. — This  kind  is  grown  to  an 
enormous  extent.  Before  leaving  Paris 
in  the  first  week  of  October  last  I  saw 
beautiful  crops  of  it  growing,  four  plants 
under  each  cloche,  each  about  five  inches 
across,  and  without  a  speck  of  disease  or 
dust.  These  plants,  sown  in  August,  are  fit  for  cutting  about 
the  end  of  October,  and  prove  very  difierent  to  the  rabbit  food 
that  serves  us  for  salad  as  soon  as  the  cold  rains  of  autumn 
prevent  its  growing  naturally  to  perfection.  But  this  crop 
was  an  exceptionally  early  one;  few  sow  it  before  the  first 
days  of  September.  It  is  sown  on  light,  rich  ground,  well 
and  deeply  stirred,  and  covered  with  an  inch,  or  a  little 
more,  of  thoroughly  decomposed  and  fine  stable  manure. 
The  surface  is  made  level  and  a  little  firm,  and  the  impres- 


the  seedlings,  which  are 
pricked  off  when  very 
small,  as  shown  in  the 
circle  with  twenty-four 
asterisks.  The  central 
ring  is  the  plan  of  a 
Cloche  with  one  Paris  Cos 
Lettuce  in  the  middle, 
and  five  Cahhage  Lettuces 
around  it ;  above  it,  one 
with  four  plants  of  a 
Winter  Cabbage  Lettuce ; 
and  beneath  it,  one  with 
three  plants  of  the  Cos. 


494  THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS. 

sions  of  the  niunber  of  cloches  it  is  intended  to  sow  made 
upon  it.  One  cloche  will  prove  saflScient  for  a  private 
garden  at  one  soaring ;  a  few  suffice  for  the  wants  of  a 
market  garden.  The  Lettuce  seed  is  then  regularly  sown 
within  the  ring  formed  by  the  impression  of  the  large  bell 
glass,  and  covered  with  a  very  slight  coat  of  thoroughly 
rotten  manure — ^a  substance  that  is  always  used  in  quan- 
tities in  Paris  market  gardens.  Then  the  cloche  is  put  on, 
the  rim  beiag  gently  pressed  into  the  light,  dark  manure 
mould.  Shade  is  given  when  the  sun  shines  strong  in 
early  autumn,  but  air  is  never  given.  A  peculiarity  of  this 
excellent  Lettuce  is  that  it  grows  best  without  air. 

As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  strong  enough  to  transplant, 
they  are  pricked  out,  about  thirty  under  each  cloche.  This 
transplantation  is  done  at  a  much  earlier  stage  than  is  the 
case  with  us.  They  do  not  let  them  wait  to  get  crowded, 
and  then  transplant  them,  tall  and  drawn,  into  their  places, 
but  take  them  up  gently  and  without  disturbing  the  roots, 
soon  after  the  cotyledons  are  developed  and  when  the  first 
leaves  are  beginning  to  appear.  In  transplanting,  a  sur- 
facing of  very  fine  and  thoroughly  rotten  manure  is  placed 
over  the  earth  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  and  the  earth  is 
often  thrown  into  beds  sloping  to  the  south,  so  that  the 
cloches  may  enjoy  the  full  sun.  Whether  the  beds  are  flat 
or  sloping,  they  are  wide  enough  for  three  ranges  of  cloches 
placed  in  a  quincunx  manner,  so  that  very  little  space  is  lost 
between  them.  Before  transplanting,  the  ground  is  marked 
by  the  impression  of  a  cloche,  and  the  little  seedlings  are 
inserted  by  the  finger  in  the  soft  mould.  Instead  of  getting 
drawn,  as  would  be  the  case  if  they  were  left  together  for  a 
longer  period,  the  plants  spread  out  into  neat  and  firm  little 
rosettes,  their  leaves  lying  close  to  the  ground,  for  the  light 
comes  freely  through  the  clean  cloche,  and  there  is  not  a 
sign  of  ill-health  or  speck  of  dust  to  be  seen  on  the  leaves. 
The  first  crop  mentioned  is  not  a  general  one,  as  there  is 
abundance  of  open-air  salad  to  be  had  about  the  time  these 
will  be  cut ;  but  the  strongest  batch  of  those  that  in 
September  were  in  the  rosette  stage,  under  the  cloches, 
are  transplanted  into  their  final  places  before  the  15th  of 


THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS.  495 

October,  planting  four  under  each  cloche,  and  they  supply 
a  great  want,  coming  in  in  perfect  condition  towards  the 
middle  of  winter. 

Sometimes  the  crop  is  planted  out  in  the  narrow  frames 
common  to  Paris  market  gardens,  turning  over  the  old 
dung  beds  before  planting.  The  frames  being  narrow  and 
shallow,  the  plants  are  near  the  glass,  and  as  soon  as  they 
are  planted  the  lights  are  put  on,  and,  instead  of  giving  air 
by  the  aid  of  these  lights,  the  greatest  care  is  taken  to  keep 
it  out.  No  matter  whether  under  cloche  or  frame,  the 
Petite  Noire  must  never  get  any  air.  Should  severe  frost 
occur,  the  glasses  may  be  protected  with  straw  mats.  It 
must  be  observed  that  when  the  plants  are  transferred  into 
the  places  where  they  are  to  attain  their  fullest  size  they 
are  removed  with  good  balls,  and  with  some  care  to  check 
their  growth  as  little  as  possible.  The  plants  pricked  out 
in  October  are  ready  to  cut  at  the  end  of  November  or 
commencement  of  December,  which  are  the  seasons  when 
this  Lettuce  begins  to  come  into  general  use.  In  addition 
to  the  crop  put  out  during  the  first  half  of  November, 
another  is  sown  at  that  season,  in  the  way  before  described, 
and  in  like  manner.  Should  very  severe  weather  render 
the  Lettuces  liable  to  suffer,  dry  litter  is  placed  between  the 
cloches,  and  higher  up  at  their  north  side,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  frost  from  entering  the  ground,  and  the  contents  of  the 
cloches  are  daily  exposed  to  the  light  and  sun,  except  when 
they  are  frozen,  when  the  covering  is  kept  on  or  increased. 

The  forced  culture  in  the  same  narrow  frames  usually 
begins  about  the  end  of  November.  At  that  period  a  hot- 
bed is  prepared,  sixteen  inches  thick,  and  about  55°  F.  in 
temperature,  spreading  on  it  some  of  the  never-failing, 
crumbling,  thoroughly  rotten  manure,  and  on  it  is  planted 
seven  lines  of  Petite  Noire.  This  plantation  requires 
greater  care  than  those  placed  under  the  cloche,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  warmth  and  humidity  ;  decaying  or  spotted 
leaves  have  to  be  picked  off  when  they  occur,  and  the 
plants  must  be  protected  with  the  mats  more  than  those 
not  excited  by  heat.  The  frames  are  surrounded  by  hot 
dung,  and  a  dryer  mass  of  it  fills  up  the  alleys  between  the 


496  THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS. 

little  frames  to  the  very  edge  of  each.     At  the  end   of 
January  or  beginning  of  February  the  last  forced  crop  of 
Petite  Noire  is  planted^  under  cloches  placed  on   a  gentle 
hotbed  a  foot  deep,  and  covered  with  about  four  inches  of 
the  same  mould-like  manure,  the  bell  glasses  as  usual  being 
placed   in  three  ranks.     The  bed  for  them  may  be  made 
wide  enough  for  six  (three  lines  on  each  side  of  a  narrow 
alley),  or  for  three  only.     In  this   January  or  February 
planting,  four  plants  of  Petite  Noire  are  planted  under  each 
cloche,   and  one   Cos  in    the  middle.     The  tender  Petites 
Noires  are  good  to   gather  in  February  and  March;  the 
Cos  remains  a  little  later,  nearly  filling  up  the  glass,  and 
forming  one  of  those  superb  Lettuces  to  be  seen  in  all  our 
great  towns  in  early  spring,  and  which  are  usually  supposed 
to  come  from  some  paradisiacal  climate,  instead  of  the  hard, 
cutting,  and  most  ungenial  winter  climate  of  Paris.     Cer- 
tainly  the  climate  that  would  produce  them  without  garden- 
ing skill  at  the  periods  spoken  of  should  be  as  mild  and 
smiling  as  that  in  which 

"  0*er  the  four  rivers  the  first  roses  blew." 

Laitue  Verte  Maeaichere. — This  Lettuce  is  sown  about 
the  first  fortnight  in  October  in  the  open  air  or  on  a  sloping 
bed  under  a  cloche.  It  is  pricked  out,  and  twenty  or  thirty 
are  generally  placed  under  one  glass,  which  is  taken  off  every 
time  that  the  weather  permits.  As  it  often  happens  that, 
in  spite  of  the  care  taken  with  it,  this  Lettuce  will  grow  too 
tall,  it  is  generally  taken  up,  and  immediately  transplanted 
during  the  course  of  the  month  of  November.  For  this  pur- 
pose a  new  sloping  bed  is  prepared  and  the  plants  are  pricked 
into  it  immediately,  in  which  case  only  eighteen  or  twenty 
are  put  under  each  glass.  From  this  moment  they  receive 
the  same  care  as  the  other  Lettuces  sown  at  the  same  time. 
Towards  the  end  of  December  or  the  beginning  of  January 
planting  in  frames  and  under  cloches  is  begun.  In  the 
former  case  eight  rows  are  placed  in  each  frame,  each  row 
consisting  of  twenty-five  plants,  so  arranged  that  there  is 
alternately  a  Petite  Noire  and  a  Cos  lettuce  in  each  row. 
Under  the  cloches  they  are  arranged  so  that  there  are  four 


THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS.  497 

of  the  former  to  one  of  the  latter.  The  Cos  lettaces  thus 
grown  may  be  gathered  at  the  beginning  of  February. 
After  they  are  gathered  the  beds  are  planted  a  second  time, 
and  towards  the  end  of  February  or  the  beginning  of  March, 
that  is  to  say,  when  the  severe  cold  is  no  longer  to  be 
dreaded,  a  single  plant  is  pricked  out  in  the  little  spaces 
between  the  cloches.  As  soon  as  the  Cos  and  the  Petite 
Noire  lettuces  planted  beneath  the  bell  glass  are  gathered 
these  latter  are  used  for  the  second  crop.  By  this  method 
they  may  be  gathered  about  three  weeks  after.  At 
the  same  time  warm  borders  on  the  south  side  of  walls 
are  also  planted  with  Cos  lettuces.  Ten  or  twelve  rows 
are  drawn  according  to  the  size  of  the  border,  and 
planted  with  Cos  lettuces  about  twelve  or  fourteen 
inches  apart.  After  this  crop  has  been  planted  out  a  few 
Radishes,  Leeks,  or  Carrots  are  sown  between  the  Lettuces. 
Generally  speaking,  these  Cos  lettuces  are  fit  to  gather 
towards  the  end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May.  Some 
market  gardeners  also  sow  Cos  during  the  month  of  August, 
which,  planted  out  in  hotbeds  under  bell  glasses,  are  gene- 
rally fit  for  gathering  in  December  and  January. 

Laitue  Gotte. — This  Lettuce  cannot  be  raised  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Petite  Noire,  because  it  will  not  come  to  per- 
fection without  plenty  of  air.  It  is  not  so  early  as  the 
Petite  Noire,  but  is  much  esteemed,  growing  larger  and 
more  perfect  than  its  congener.  The  Laitue  Gotte  is  sown 
from  the  20th  to  the  25th  of  October,  on  a  sloping  bed, 
and  the  same  method  of  after-treatment  is  adopted  as  in 
forcing  the  Petite  Noire,  although  it  is  less  damaged  by 
frost.  Being  a  later  kind,  it  may  be  left  in  the  sloping 
bed  until  the  Petite  Noire  is  all  gathered,  when  it  may  be 
used  to  fill  the  vacant  places  in  the  hotbeds.  The  manure 
of  the  hotbeds  should  be  left  undisturbed,  but  the  soil  in 
the  frames  should  be  well  forked  and  made  even.  Towards 
the  end  of  January  or  beginning  of  February  the  L.  Gotte 
should  be  planted  in  the  frames.  It  should  have  plenty  of 
air,  whenever  the  weather  will  allow  it,  by  propping  up  the 
back  of  the  light.  K  the  Lettuce  does  not  heart  early  the 
light  should  be  removed  as  soon  as  the  fine  weather  makes 


498  THE  CULTURE  OP  SALADS. 

its  appearance^  so  as  to  allow  it  to  come  to  perfection  in 
the  open  air.  Instead  of  planting  the  Laitue  Grotte  in  a 
frame^  it  may  be  planted  on  a  hotbed  under  cloches  ar- 
ranged in  three  rows^  three  plants  being  placed  under  each^ 
taking  care  to  preserve  them  from  frost  in  the  usual  way, 
and  to  give  them  air  whenever  the  weather  will  allow  of  it. 
The  Laitue  Gotte  may  also  be  planted  in  the  open  ground 
under  a  cloche.  The  earth  is  well  dug  and  raked^  and  an 
inch  and  a  half  of  well  decomposed  stable  manure  thrown 
over  it,  smoothed  and  flattened.  The  cloches  are  then 
placed  in  alternate  lines^  with  three  plants  under  each. 
When  the  plants  have  struck,  air  should  be  given  them 
whenever  it  is  possible.  The  Laitue  Gotte,  when  planted 
in  frames  at  the  end  of  January,  arrives  at  perfection  by  the 
end  of  March  ;  those  planted  under  cloches  in  February,  at 
the  beginning  of  April ;  and  those  planted  under  cloches  or  in 
frames  at  the  end  of  February,  towards  the  middle  of  April. 

The  Passion  Lettuce — Laitue  de  la  Passion  as  it  is  called 
— is  the  only  winter  Lettuce  grown  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Paris  in  the  open  air.  It  is  sown  from  the  15th  of  August 
to  the  15th  of  September,  according  to  the  soil  which  is 
to  receive  it,  and  is  pricked  out  rather  thinly  in  October. 
It  is  generally  left  unprotected  through  the  winter;  how- 
ever, it  is  prudent  to  defend  it  against  severe  firosts  by 
covering  it  with  long  litter,  whiclj  is  taken  off  and  put  on 
again  as  it  is  required.  This  Lettuce  is  generally  fit  for 
gathering  towards  Passion  Week,  fi^m  which  circiimstance 
it  is  called  Passion  Lettuce  by  the  Parisians. 

Corn  Salad  or  Mache. — ^This  plant  is  very  much  used  in 
Paris,  and  is  excellent  as  a  salad.  It  is  peculiarly  agreeable 
when  mixed  with  a  sprinkling  of  Celery.  The  culture  is  of 
the  simplest  kind,  the  seeds  being  often  sown  amongst  other 
crops,  which  must  be  placed  somewhat  thinly,  and  the 
Corn  Salad  is  gathered  before  the  other  requires  all  the 
ground.  They  begin  to  sow  the  Ronde  variety  about  the 
15th  of  August,  and  continue  at  intervals  till'  the  end  of 
October.  That  sown  in  August  comes  in  for  the  autumn  con- 
sumption ;  that  sown  in  September  for  winter  use ;  and  that 
sown  in  October  is  used  in  spring.     During  hard  frosts  the 


THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS.  499 

crops  to  begathered  duringwinter  are  covered  with  long  litter. 
Italian  Com  Salad  or  M&che  Regence  is  sown  in  October^  and 
is  sown  more  thinly  than  the  preceding ;  it  is  considered  the 
best  variety.  It  may  also  be  raised  in  the  spare  places  between 
the  plants,  under  cloche,  in  any  open  surface  between  plants 
in  frames,  or  any  cool  light  garden  structure. 

The  Barbe  de  Capucin  is  the  most  common  of  all  salads 
in  Paris  in  the  winter  and  early  spring,  and  for  its  culture 
the  cloche  is  not  required.  It  is  perhaps  too  bitter  for 
some  tastes,  but  is  sometimes  used  by  English  families,  and 
is  well  worthy  of  culture  in  small  gardens,  being  so  very 
easily  forced  when  other  salads  are  scarce.  This  salad  is  of 
all  others  that  which  may  be  had  with  the  least  amount  of 
trouble  by  any  person  in  possession  of  a  spot  of  rough 
ground,  a  cellar,  or  any  dark  place  where  a  little  heat 
might  be  used  to  start  the  blanched  leaves  of  the  Chicory 
in  winter;  it  is  therefore  desirable  that  it  be  brought 
into  common  use.  Should  the  taste  be  too  bitter  to  those 
unaccustomed  to  it,  or  who  do  not  like  bitter  salads,  the 
addition  of  Com  Salad,  Celery,  or  Beetroot,  improves  and 
modifies  the  flavour,  and  makes  it  a  very  distinct  and  agree- 
able salad.  The  gardeners  of  the  commune  of  Montreuil 
sow  every  year  a  large  quantity  of  wild  Chicory  for  the 
purpose  of  forcing  the  Barbe  de  Capucin.  For  this 
purpose  the  crop  is  sown  in  April.  It  is  sown  both 
broadcast  and  in  drills,  which  are  traced  at  a  distance  of 
eight  inches  from  each  other.  At  least  nine  pounds  of  seed 
per  acre  must  be  used.  In  the  course  of  the  summer  the 
ground  should  be  turned  up  several  times ;  when  the  frost 
sets  in  the  roots  are  taken  up  with  the  fork,  care  being 
taken  not  to  break  them.  They  are  then  laid  by  the  heels  so 
as  to  have  them  always  ready  for  use ;  and  in  the  course 
of  the  month  of  October,  the  season  when  such  work  is 
usually  commenced,  a  hotbed  about  sixteen  inches  deep  is 
prepared,  the  heat  of  which  is  from  65°  to  80°  Fahr. 
The  most  favourable  position  for  such  a  hotbed  is  in  a 
cave  or  in  a  deep^  cellar  without  light  or  air. 

When  the  heat  of  the  bed  has   somewhat   abated,  the 
plants  are  tied  up  in  bundles,  having  first  carefully  removed 

K  K  2 


500  THE  CULTURE  OF  SALADS. 

all  the  dead  leaves  and  other  portions  liable  to  produce 
mouldiness^  after  which  they  are  placed  upright  on  the  bed 
and  watered  frequently  with  a  rose  watering-pot ;  but,  as 
usual,  the  waterings  must  be  adapted  to  the  heat  of  the  bed. 
From  the  time  the  Barbe  begins  to  grow,  these  waterings 
ought  to  be  performed  with  great  judgment,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  interior  of  the  bundles  from  rotting.  At  the  end  of 
fifteen  or  eighteen  days,  the  salad  is  long  enough  to  be 
gathered.  From  the  time  given  above  the  Chicory  can  be 
blanched  up  to  March  and  April;  after  every  gathering 
however,  the  spent  dung  should  be  removed,  and  replaced 
by  a  fi^sh  supply,  so  as  always  to  keep  the  bed  at  the  same 
degree  of  warmth. 

In  the  market  gardens  of  Viroflay  large  quantities  of 
wild  Chicory  are  cultivated.  It  is  sown  broadcast  towards 
the  end  of  the  month  of  May  or  the  beginning  of  June. 
The  following  February  it  is  covered  with  an  inch 
and  a  half  of  leaf  mould,  or,  if  that  cannot  be  procured, 
mould  from  the  pathways.  Ten  or  twelve  days  afterwards 
it  is  cut  just  where  the  two  kinds  of  earth  join.  Two  or 
three  gatherings  are  generally  made,  after  which  it  is 
allowed  to  remain  until  the  following  year. 

ScAROLLE  (Broad-leaved  Batavian  Endive). — ^This  fine  salad 
forms  a  very  considerable  item  in  the  culture  of  the  Paris 
market  gardens.  It  is  deserving  of  being  generally  grown 
in  England,  being  easy  of  cultivation,  very  large,  and  form- 
ing an  excellent  salad ;  indeed,  it  is  on  the  whole  perhaps 
the  best  we  have.  The  mode  of  blanching  is  very  simple : 
the  leaves  of  the  plant  are  gathered  up,  and  then  a  single 
straw  tied  around  them.  This  is  only  done  five  days  before 
the  ScaroUe  is  ready  for  market.  A  crop  of  this  was  nearly 
ready  to  blanch  in  September,  it  was  the  second  crop  of  the 
same  plant  that  had  been  on  the  ground — the  first  and  best 
having  been  gathered  a  few  weeks.  Some  of  the  finer 
specimens  of  this  second  unblanched  crop  measured  twenty 
and  twenty-one  inches  in  diameter  on  September  7th,  1868. 


501 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ASPARAGUS     CULTURE. 

Asparagus  is  grown  much  more  abundantly  and  to  a  much 
larger  size  in  France  than  it  is  in  England.  The  country 
is  half  covered  with  it  in  some  places  near  Paris ;  small  and 
large  farmers  grow  it  abundantly,  cottagers  grow  it— every- 
body  grows  it,  and  everybody  eats  it.  Near  Paris  it  is 
chiefly  grown  in  the  valley  of  Montmorency  and  at  Argen- 
teuil,  and  it  is  cultivated  extensively  for  market  in  many 
other  places.  About  Argenteuil  3000  persons  are  employed 
in  the  culture  of  Asparagus — at  least  so  I  was  told 
by  the  son  of  the  cultivator  who  took  the  best 
prizes  for  Asparagus  at  the  Exhibition.  His  father  not 
being  at  home,  I  traversed  a  considerable  portion  of  what 
may  be  termed  the  region  of  Asparagus  with  this  youth, 
who  was  of  the  intelligent  type,  and  understood  all  about 
this  dainty  vegetable.  I  first  saw  it  growing  to  a  large 
extent  among  the  vines.  The  vine  under  field  culture,  I 
need  scarcely  say,  is  simply  cut  down  to  near  the  old  stool 
every  year,  and  allowed  to  make  a  few  growths,  which  are 
tied  erect  to  a  stake :  they  do  not  overtop  the  Asparagus  in 
any  way,  but  on  the  other  hand  the  strong  plants  of  that 
show  well  above  the  vines.  It  was  not  in  distinct  close 
lines  among  the  vines,  but  widely  and  irregularly  separated, 
say  six  or  seven  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  and  as  much  or 
more  the  other  way.  They  simply  put  one  plant  in  each 
open  spot,  and  give  it  every  chance  of  forming  a  capital 
specimen,  and  this  it  generally  does.  When  the  stems  get 
large  and  a  little  top-heavy  in  early  summer,  a  string  is  put 
round  all,  so  as  to  hold  them  slightly  together  (the  careful 
cultivator  uses  a  stake),  and  the  mutual  support  thus  given 
prevents  the  plant  from  being  cut  off  in  its  prime.     We 


502  ASPARAGUS  CULTURE. 

all  know  how  apt  it  is  to  be  twisted  off  at  the  collar  by 
strong  winds,  especially  in  wet  weather,  when  the  drops  on 
every  tiny  leaf  make  the  foliage  heavy.  The  growing  of 
Asparagus  among  the  vines  is  a  very  usual  mode,  and  a 
vast  space  is  thus  covered  with  it  about  here.  But  it  is 
grown  in  other  and  more  special  ways,  though  not  one  like 
our  way  of  growing  it,  which  is  decidedly  much  inferior  to 
the  French  method. 

Perhaps  the  simplest  and  most  worthy  of  adoption  is  to 
grow  it  in  shallow  trenches.  I  have  seen  extensive  plant- 
ings that  looked  much  as  a  Celery  ground  does  soon  after 
being  planted,  the  young  Asparagus  plants  being  in  a  shallow 
trench,  and  a  little  ridge  of  soil  being  thrown  up  between 
the  lines  of  Asparagus.  These  trenches  are  generally  about 
four  feet  apart,  sometimes  less.  The  soil  is  rather  a  stiff 
sandy  loam  with  calcareous  matter  in  some  parts,  but  I  do 
not  think  the  soil  has  all  to  do  with  the  peciQiar  excellence 
of  the  vegetable,  and  am  certain  that  soils  on  which  it 
would  flourish  equally  well  are  far  from  uncommon  in 
England.  It  is  the  careful  attention  to  the  wants  of  the 
plant  that  produces  such  a  good  result.  Here,  for  instance, 
is  a  young  plantation  planted  in  March,  and  from  the  little 
ridges  of  soil  between  the  shallow  trenches  they  have  just 
dug  a  crop  of  small  early  Potatoes.  Now,  in  England, 
the  Asparagus  would  be  left  to  the  free  action  of  the  breeze, 
but  the  French  cultivators — ^like  the  old  Scotchwoman  who 
would  not  trust  the  stormy  water  and  God^s  goodness  as 
long  as  there  was  a  bridge  in  Stirling — never  leave  a  young 
plant  of  Asparagus  to  the  wind's  mercy  whilst  they  can 
get  hold  of  a  bit  of  oak  about  a  yard  long.  But  when 
staking  these  young  plants  they  do  not  insert  the  support 
close  at  the  bottom,  as  we  are  too  apt  to  do  in  other  in- 
stances, but  at  a  little  distance  off,  so  as  to  avoid  the 
possibility  of  injuring  a  fibre;  each  stake  leans  over  its 
plant  at  an  angle  of  45^,  and  when  the  sapling  is  big  enough 
to  touch  it  or  be  caught  by  the  wind,  they  tie  it  to  the 
stick  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  ground  in  which  this 
system  is  pursued  being  entirely  devoted  to  Asparagus,  the 
stools  are  placed  very  much  closer  together  than  they  are 


ASPABAGUS   CULTURE.  503 

when  grown  amon^  the  vines^  say  at  a  distance  of  about  a 
yard  apart.  The  little  trenches  are  about  a  foot  wide  and 
eight  inches  below  the  level  of  the  ground — looking  deeper^ 
however,  from  the  soil  being  piled  up. 

The  young  plants  are  placed  in  these  trenches  very  care- 
fully. A  little  mound  is  made  with  the  hand  in  each  spot 
where  a  plant  is  to  be  placed  so  as  to  elevate  the  crown  a 
little  and  permit  of  the  spreading  out  of  the  roots  in  a  per- 
fectly safe  manner.  In  fact  they  seem  to  be  about  as  par- 
ticular as  regards  depositing  the  young  plants  in  the  first 
instance,  as  a  good  grape-grower  is  about  his  young  vines. 
They  plant  in  March  and  April — using  any  kind  of  manure 
that  can  be  had,  but  chiefly  here,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  the 
refuse  of  the  town — ^the  ashes, 
old  vegetables,  rags,  and  other  ^*®-  2^^- 

matters,  that  the  people  throw  |^" — f^?^  l^K 

before   their   doors,  and   which   ^BL, ^ ^^^^M 

the  dust-carts  take  away  in  the   ^^^^^  ^ ..J^^^^^^^M 

morning.  They  are  very  par-  ^^^^^^^tfjj^^^^llH 
ticular  to  destroy  the  weeds,  ^^^^^f^^^^^^^^lR^^l 
and  they  also  take  good  care  to  ^^^  ^^^  .^^^^  ^^e  depth  of  the 

destroy     all      sorts       of      insect        successive  annual  earthings  given 
_   •        •      j."L  •  to  the  Asparagus.     After  four  or 

enemies  in  the  mornings,  espe-      g^^  years'  px)wth  the  ridges  die- 

cially  during  the  early  summer.  appear,  and  the  highest  points  of 
■r»   .  .IT  /.A  the  grounds   are   those  over   the 

between  the  lines  of  Asparagus      crowns  of  the  roots. 
they  plant  small  growing  crops 

on  the  little  ridges  during  the  first  years  of  the  plantation,  but 
are  careful  not  to  put  the  large  vegetables  there,  which  would 
shade  and  otherwise  injure  the  plant.  When  they  plant 
they  spread  a  handful  or  so  of  well-rotted  manure  over  each 
root,  and  they  repeat  this  every  year,  removing  the  soil  very 
carefully  in  the  autumn  down  to  the  roots,  putting  on  them 
a  couple  of  handfiils  of  rotten  manure,  and  spreading  the 
earth  over  again,  so  that  the  rain  is  continually  washing 
nutriment  to  the  roots.  When  doing  this  they  notice  the 
state  of  the  young  roots,  and  any  spot  in  which  one  has 
perished,  or  has  done  little  good,  they  mark  with  a  stick,  to 
replace  it  the  following  March.  Early  every  spring  they 
pile  up  a  little  heap  of  fine  earth  over  each  crown.     When 


604  A8PABA6U8   CULTURE. 

the  plantation  arriyes  at  its  third  year  they  increase  the  size 
of  the  little  mound^  or^  in  other  words,  a  heap  of  finely 
pulyerized  earth  is  placed  over  the  stool,  from  which  some^ 
but  not  much.  Asparagus  is  cut  the  same  year,  taking  care 
to  leave  the  weak  plants  and  those  which  hare  replaced 
others,  to  themselves  for  another  year. 

They  would  appear  to  cut  the  best  of  it  when  it  is  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  out  of  the  ground — and  here  is  the  only 
objectionable  thing  about  their  system.  The  top  is  very 
good,  but  as  a  rule  too  short ;  but  such  a  handle  as  they 
give  you  to  it !  Now,  it  may  be  desirable  to  have  some- 
thing to  take  hold  of,  but  to  cut  it  as  they  do  here,  and  as 
we  often  do  in  England,  is  not  wise,  or  conducive  to  the 
thorough  enjoyment  of  the  vegetable.  However,  it  is 
simply  a  matter  of  the  amount  of  covering  given,  or  of  the 
depth  at  which  it  is  cut,  and  therefore  of  the  simplest 
management.  The  care  and  culture  may  be  applied  as 
described,  and  the  Asparagus  cut  at  pleasure.  To  procure 
it  in  a  thoroughly  blanched  condition,  the  French  pile  up 
these  little  mounds  of  fine  earth,  which  enables  them  of 
course  to  get  it  much  longer;  besides,  they  can  pull  away 
the  soil  conveniently,  and  get  at  the  rising  stems  as  low 
down  as  they  like.  It  is  not,  however,  the  fault  of  the  cul- 
tivator that  the  Asparagus  is  so  much  blanched,  for  I  have 
been  told  by  the  first  fruit  and  vegetable  merchant  in  Paris 
that  his  customers  would  not  buy  the  finest  Asparagus  ever 
grown  if  brought  in  a  green  state.  This  is  why  you  see  it 
with  a  shaft  like  ivory  and  with  the  point  of  the  shoot  of  a 
red,  rose,  or  violet  tinge.  Then  again,  some  contend 
that  Asparagus  blanched  after  the  French  fashion  is  far 
more  delicious  than  when  it  is  eaten  in  the  green  state,  while 
others  in  England  say  it  is  worthless.  From  what  I  know 
of  their  arguments,  however,  it  is  clear  that  those  who  say 
French  Asparagus  is  worthless,  mostly  know  it  from  some  old 
bundles  bought  and  eaten  perhaps  a  fortnight  after  they 
were  cut  in  France.  Let  us  hear  the  French  side  : — '^  In 
certain  localities  they  do  not  yet  value  the  distinction 
between  blanched  and  green  Asparagus,  and  occasionally 
prefer  the  last.     That  is  an  error  very  prejudicial  to  the 


ASPARAGUS   CULTURE.  505 

consumer's  interests.  In  the  green  Asparagus  there  is  only 
the  point  edible ;  in  the  white  it  is  often  entirely  so^  and, 
moreover,  it  is  infinitely  more  tender  and  delicate.  All 
Asparagus  cut  when  it  is  green  is  not  fit  to  be  eaten  in  the 
ordinary  way,  but  may  be  used  cut  up  small  as  an  accompani- 
ment to  other  dishes.  To  serve  up  green  Asparagus  is  to 
dishonour  the  table  !  In  the  markets  of  Paris  the  green 
Asparagus  is  worth  one  franc  a  bunch,  when  the  blanched  is 
worth  three  francs  ;  they  do  not  eat  it  (the  green  Asparagus) 
— it  serves  for  the  manufacture  of  syrup  of  Asparagus. — V.  P. 
Lebceup.'^ 

When  the  plantation  reaches  its  fourth  year  the  little 
mound  of  blanching  earth  is  increased  to  fifteen  inches  in 
height,  for  then  they  expect  to  cut  something  worth  while, 
and  these  mounds  are  made  in  the  early  part  of  March ;  and 
even  after  this,  as  they  grow  stronger  the  little  mounds  are 
increased ;  and  they  always  keep  a  look-out  for  the  feeble 
plants,  with  a  view  to  replace  them.  To  have  Asparagus  as 
it  ought  to  be,  they  say  you  must  cut  every  day,  or  every 
two  days,  according  to  temperature,  so  that  it  may  be 
obtained  at  the  right  moment ;  indeed  if  they  do  not  do 
this,  the  shoots  become  too  high  and  too  green.  They  place 
great  importance  on  obtaining  strong  and  healthy  plants ;  and 
in  the  establishment  which  I  visited  they  have  three  kinds, 
rOrdinaire,  La  HoUande  tardive,  improved,  and  La  H&tive 
d^Argenteuil.  The  first  is  described  as  very  fine,  the  second 
very  strong,  and  the  last  as  the  earliest,  most  productive  and 
best.  Of  course  there  are  various  modifications  of  the  plan 
described  herein,  and  in  several  instances  I  saw  two  rows, 
placed  in  a  rather  wide  trench  in  an  alternate  manner.  As 
to  the  size  and  quality  of  the  Asparagus  produced  by  this 
method  there  can  be  but  one  opinion.  Mr.  Veitch  and 
many  other  English  horticulturists,  who  know  what  garden- 
ing is,  as  well  as  it  is  possible  to  know  it,  have  been,  with 
myself,  surprised  at  it.  The  same  difference  holds  good 
in  the  forced  Asparagus — the  slender  pipe-shank  produc- 
tions of  the  English  forcing-house  being  miserable  compared 
to  it. 

Concisely :  the  Prench  mode  of  cultivating  this  delicious 


506  ASPARAGUS    CULTURE. 

vegetable  differR  firom  our  own  diametrically  in  giving  each 
plant  abundant  room  to  develope  |nto  a  large  healthy  speci- 
men^ in  paying  thoughtful  attention  to  the  plants  at  all 
times^  and  in  planting  in  a  hollow  instead  of  a  raised  bed, 
so  that  as  the  roots  grow  up  they  may  have  annual  dress- 
ings of  enriching  manure.  They  do  not^  as  we  do^  go  to 
great  expense  in  forming  a  mass  of  the  richest  soil  far  be- 
neath the  roots^  but  rather  give  it  at  the  surface^  which  is  con- 
sistent with  the  nature  of  the  root.  And  in  this  way  they 
beat  us  with  Asparagus  as  thoroughly  as  Messrs.  Meredith, 
Henderson,  or  Miller^  beat  them  with  hothouse  grapes.  A 
man  who  knows  how  to  spend  two  and  a  half  francs  for  his 
dinner  in  Paris  enjoys  Asparagus  for  a  longer  time  and  of 
much  better  quality  than  many  a  nobleman  in  England  with  a 
bevy  of  gardeners.  In  the  first-class  restaurants  you  usually 
pay  high  for  Asparagus,  as  you  do  for  all  other  vegetables, 
but  it  is  served  very  cheaply  in  many  respectable  ones — so 
much  so,  indeed^  that  it  is  partaken  of  by  all  classes. 

As  the  culture  of  this  vegetable  is  so  important,  and  the 
French  manage  it  so  well,  I  venture  to  go  further  into 
detail  by  giving  the  following  account,  written  by  a  well- 
known  and  very  successful  cultivator  of  Argenteuil,  and  first 
published  in  the  Gardener's  Chronicle,  I  have  made  some 
few  alterations,  with  a  view  to  rendering  the  meaning 
simpler  and  clearer  to  the  reader : — 

^^Preparation  of  the  Ground. — ^When  a  convenient  piece 
of  ground  has  been  selected,  it  is  first  of  all  to  be  mellowed 
by  spreading  on  its  surface  a  good  dressing  of  horse  or 
sheep  manure.  The  ground  is  to  be  dug  up  to  a  depth  of 
sixteen  inches  in  fine  weather  at  the  beginning  of  winter, 
during  which  season  it  is  to  be  left  at  rest.  In  the  month 
of  February  following — at  least,  as  soon  as  severe  frost  is  no 
longer  to  be  expected — ^the  ground  is  to  be  laid  out  in 
furrows  and  ridges,  in  order  to  shape  shelving  beds,  and  the 
excavations  which  are  to  receive  the  plantations.  For  this 
purpose  the  following  operations  are  to  be  performed. 
First,  there  are  to  be  drawn  the  whole  length  of  the  ground, 
and  by  preference  from  north  to  south,  two  lines,  leaving 
between  them  a  space  of  fourteen  inches,  intended  for  the 


ASPARAGUS   CDLTCRE.  507 

site  of  the  first  half-ahelving  bed.  Reckoning  from  the  inte- 
rior base  of  this  half-ahelving  bed,  a  distance  of  twenty-fonr 
inches  is  to  be  measured  for  the  first  treoch.  The  earth 
taken  from  it  will  serve  to  form  the  shelving  bed.  The 
second  shelving  bed,  which  will 
be  a    large  one,  is  to  measure 

twenty-eight  inches  in  width  at  ' 

its  base,   and  fourteen  inches   iu         ^ 
height.     Neit  comes  the  second  , 

trench,    then    the    third    entire  ■ 

shelving  bed,  and  so  on,  until  the  j 

whole   piece  of  groiiod  has  been  ' 

occnpied.  Thus,  the  first  half- 
shelving  bed  will  measure  in  K 
width  fourteen  inches,  and  * 
in  height  eight  inches;  the 
first  trench  in  width  twenty 
four  inches,  the  second  en- 
tire    shelving     bed     in     width 

twenty-eight     inches,     and     in  ■ 

height    fourteen  inches,   &e.,   as     i  •* 

showu  inthe  accompanying  figure. 
The  earth  of  the  shelving  beds 
being  intended  to  cover  over  the 

plants  from  time  to  time,  these  _^ 

beds  will   gradually  diminish  in  | 

height,  and  the  whole  piece  of 
ground  will  become  nearly  level 
at  the   end   of  five  years,   when 

the  Asparagus  plantation  will  be  i 

in    full    productiveness."       [In  "^  *  "j* ' 

justice  to  the  extensive  market 
grower  and  successful  prizetaker 
who  thus  describes  his  culture, 
we  are  bound  to  respect  his  dia- 
gram; but  a  readier  and  less  precise  metli  I  i  n  re  gene- 
rally pursued,  such  as  that  indicated  by  Fig.  296,  roughly- 
drawn  from  memory,] 

"  First  Year. — The  first  plantation  is  to  take  place  during 


508  ASPARAGUS   CULTURE. 

the  months  of  March  or  Aprils  and  should  be  performed  in 
the  following  manner : — In  each  trench,  through  its  entire 
length,  small  holes,  eight  inches  in  diameter  and  about  four 
inches  deep,  must  be  formed  about  thirty-six  inches  distant 
from  each  other.  In  the  centre  of  each  of  them  a  small 
hillock  of  earth  about  two  inches  high  is  to  be  raised,  upon 
which  the  Asparagus  plant  is  to  be  laid  down,  care  being 
taken  to  divide  the  roots  equally  in  every  direction;  the 
roots  aare  then  to  be  covered  over  with  half  an  inch  of  earth ; 
and  one  or  two  handfuls  of  very  good  manure  are  to  be 
added,  and  covered  over  with  about  an  inch  and  a  half  of 
earth,  at  the  same  time  forming  a  small  hollow  of  about  an 
inch  deep  over  each  plant,  to  indicate  its  position.  In  order 
exactly  to  know  the  position  of  the  plants,  and  to  shelter 
them  and  their  shoots  from  accidents,  a  small  stake  is  to  be 
set  to  each,  inclining  it  at  an  angle  of  45°,  in  order  not  to 
Fio.  296.  injure  the  roots,  and  placing  it 

a  little  away  from  the  plant. 
'^  Every    morning,    towards 

the    months     of     April     and 

Common  mo(le"o7foming  to        May,  slugs     and     snaUs     are 
Asparagus  plantation.  to     be     carefully   looked     for 

and  destroyed.  Beetles  are  also  much  to  be  feared  in 
the  Asparagus  plantations.  Twice  every  day  during 
a  fortnight  it  will  be  well  to  pursue  these  insects  with  rods, 
so  as  to  hinder  them  from  depositing  their  eggs  on  the  stalks 
of  the  Asparagus ;  these  eggs  develop  at  the  end  of  three 
weeks  into  black  maggots  or  worms,  which  prey  upon 
the  Asparagus  stems  and  dry  them  up.  Yet  these 
insects  are  not  the  only  ones  which  are  to  be  dreaded.  The 
white  worms  (or  maggots  of  tree  beetles)  are  very  dangerous, 
and  it  will  be  well  constantly  to  put  in  use  the  most  proper 
means  to  get  rid  of  them,  for  they  eat  the  roots  and  destroy 
the  plants.  It  will  be  useful  also  to  set  mole  traps,  for 
while  tracing  their  underground  roads  the  moles  cut  the 
roots.  Frequently  during  the  season  the  plantations  should 
be  thoroughly  cleaned,  taking  care  to  never  bruise  or  in  any 
way  injure  the  young  plants,  for  any  accident  to  these  is  of 
course  directly  prejudicial. 


ASPAaAOUS  CULTUBE.  509 

'^  Common  vegetables^  sncli  as  late  Potatoes^  Cabbages^ 
&c.^  ought  not  to  be  planted  on  the  ridges  of  beds^  which, 
however,  may  be  made  naeful  (but  only  during  the  first 
years)  by  growing  on  them  early  Potatoes,  Lentils,  Kidney 
Beans,  Salads,  and  such  other  vegetables  as  are  of  little 
inconvenience  from  their  dimensions.  In  the  month  of 
October,  during  fine  and  dry  weather,  the  small  stalks  of 
the  Asparagus  are  to  be  cut  ofi^  at  six  inches  above  the 
ground.  The  ground  is  to  be  lightly  cleaned,  and  the 
shelving  beds  must  be  dug  up  to  a  depth  of  twelve  inches, 
maintaining  their  conical  shape.  The  Asparagus  is  to  be 
lightly  covered  with  manure,  the  plants  being  laid  bare  with 
a  flat  hoe,  for  a  diameter  of  eight  inches,  and  up  to  the 
crowns.  Proper  care  ought  to  be  taken  not  to  injure  the 
roots  with  the  implement.  On  each  plant  lay  one  or  two 
handfuls  of  good  manure,  free  from  all  noxious  substances. 
While  spreading  the  manure,  mark  out  with  a  small  stick 
the  site  of  the  plants  which  have  failed  during  the  course 
of  the  year ;  these  must  be  renewed  in  the  month  of  March 
following.  The  manure  is  at  once  to  be  covered  over 
with  about  three  inches  of  the  best  mellow  earth  at  hand, 
and  over  the  plants  is  to  be  made  a  small  conical  hillock 
about  two  inches  high.  This  operation  is  the  last  to  be 
performed  for  the  year. 

"  Second  Year. — In  March  or  April  begin  by  replacing 
the  plants  which  have  failed  in  the  preceding  year,  selecting 
vigorous  plants  a  year  old,  and  setting  them  in  the  same 
manner  as  recommended  for  the  first  year.  Stakes  are  to 
be  placed  near  the  foot  of  each  plant,  always  at  an  angle  of 
45°.  In  the  beginning  of  April  a  cleaning  is  to  be  made 
on  the  shelving  beds  and  on  the  grounds ;  it  will  be  well  to 
perform  this  operation  the  day  after  a  sprinkling  of  rain,  in 
order  the  more  easily  to  break  the  clods.  As  soon  as  the 
Asparagus  stems  become  firm,  fasten  them  to  the  stakes,  in 
order  to  protect  them  against  the  wind,  which  might  break 
them.  In  the  month  of  October  the  dry  stalks  are  to  be 
cut  ofl^  at  eight  inches  above  the  ground ;  the  shelving  beds 
are  to  be  turned  up,  always  lightly  hollowing  out  the 
trenches.     Manure  is  to  be  spread  on  the  shelving  beds, 


510  ASPARAGUS  CULTURE. 

which  are  then  to  be  dug  up.  The  stakes,  having  become 
useless^  are  to  be  taken  away.  Lastly^  the  laying  bare 
of  the  roots  is  to  be  done  by  taking  away  the  earthy  as 
already  directed,  the  dressing  of  decomposed  manure  placed 
over  them,  and  lastly^  the  manure  is  in  its  turn  covered 
with  a  couple  of  inches  of  the  finely  pulverized  soil. 

"  Third  Year. — In  the  middle  of  the  month  of  March, 
during  fine  weather,  small  knolls,  from  six  to  eight  inches 
high,  are  to  be  made  over  each  plant,  taking  nevertheless  as 
a  basis  the  comparative  strength  of  the  crowns,  more  or  less 
large,  or  of  a  more  or  less  determined  development ;  those 
which  may  be  too  feeble,  or  having  served  the  preceding 
year  to  supply  the  bad  ones,  or  those  which  had  failed,  are 
to  be  covered  over  with  a  hillock  of  only  four  inches  high, 
and  should  then  be  left  to  themselves.     From  the  other 
plants,  three,   or  at  most   four  Asparagus  heads   may  be 
gathered ;  but  they  are  not  to  be  cut  oflF  with  an  Asparagus 
knife,  but  removed  with  the  fingers.     However,  there  is  a 
particular  sort  of  knife,  square-shaped  at  the  end,  and  having 
teeth  on  one  side,  forming  a  saw,  which  will  be  useful  to 
take  away  the  earth  about  the  stalk,  and  will  make  it  easy 
for  the  fingers  to  reach  the  subterranean  stock,  which  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  injure.    With  regard  to  the  gathering, 
one  finger  must  be  got  behind  the  Asparagus  stem  at  its  base, 
and  by  bending  it,  it  will  easily  come  ofl^  the  stock.     In 
this  manner  all  injury  to  its  neighbours,  which  may  easily 
happen  with  an  Asparagus  knife,  will  be  avoided ;  and  there 
will  not  be  left  any  wounded  ends,  from  which  the  sap  will 
flow  and  spread   around,   occasioning  rapid   decay.      Care 
should  be  taken  to  close  up  the  hole  made  for  the  gathering 
of  the  Asparagus,  and  the  knoll  is  at  once  to  be  formed 
anew.     In  the  month  of  April,  the  stakes  are  to  be  again 
used,  and  the  stems  fastened  to  them  in  due  time.     After 
having,  in  fine  weather,  done  all  that  is  necessary  in  the 
way  of  cleaning,  in  the  month  of  October  the  dry  stalks  are 
to  be  cut  off  about  ten  inches  above  the  ground,  and  the 
dead  rubbish  thrown  out  of  the  Asparagus  plantation.    From 
the  whole  surface  of  the  trenches,  and  to  a  depth  of  four 
inches,  the  earth  is  to  be  taken  away  and  thrown  upon  the 


ASPARAGUS   CULTURE.  511 

ridges ;  this  earth  is  to  be  substituted  by  a  layer  of  very 
good  manure,  which  layer  is  to  be  of  a  thickness  of  about 
an  inch  and  a  half^  if  night  soil  is  made  use  of,  or  of  about 
two  inches  if  it  is  only  common  manure.     At  the  same 
time  a  portion  of  the  end  of  the  old  stalks  is  to  be  taken 
away,  preserving  that  nearest  to  the  crown,  so  as  to  indicate 
the  exact  site  of  the  plants  for  the  fourth  year.     After 
having  spread  the  manure,  the  ridges  must  be  dug  up,  and 
the  manure  covered  with  an  inch  or  two  of  earth  from 
them,  a  small  hillock  being  left  over  the  crown  of  each  plant. 
"  Fourth  Year. — About  the  middle  of  March,   in  dry 
weather,  or  the  day  after  a  sprinkling  of  rain,  knolls  of  the 
height  of  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  must  be  formed  over 
each  plant  with  the  fine  earth  from  the  sides  of  the  ridges. 
The  feeble  plants  marked  with  a  small  stick  at  the  pre- 
ceding laying  bare,  are  to  be  covered  over  with  hillocks  of 
a  thickness  of  from  four  to  six  inches  only.    While  earthing 
up  the  Asparagus  the  ends  of  the  dry  stalks  are  to  be  taken 
away.    The  gathering  is  to  take  place  from  the  largest  speci- 
mens during  one  month  at  the  most.     Then  they  are  to  be 
left  to  run  to  seed.     The  most  feeble  ones  are  to  be  spared 
in  order  to  strengthen  them.    At  the  second  dressing  in  the 
month  of  May,  earth  is  taken  from  the  shelving  beds,  in  order 
to  cover  over,  to  an  extent  of  an  inch  or  two,  the  whole  surface 
of  the  grounds,  so  as  to  protect  the  Asparagus  plantation  from 
the  dryness  of  the  summer.     The  stakes  should  be  five  feet 
high.    In  the  month  of  October  the  stalks  of  the  Asparagus 
are  to  be  cut  oflF  at  fourteen  inches  above  the  ground,  and 
the  plantation  is  to  be  cleared  of  the  rubbish ;  manure  is  to 
be  spread  on  the  ridges,  which  are  to  be  made  up  from  the 
knolls  in  the  trenches;    and  are  then  to  be  dug  up  to  a 
depth  of  sixteen  inches.     Notwithstanding  the  manure  laid 
upon  the  shelving  beds,  the  roots  of  the  Asparagus  are  to 
be  laid  carefully  bare   in  the  manner  already  described. 
Upon  the  crowns  are  to  be  put   a  few  handfuls   of  good 
manure,  which  is  to  be  covered   over  with  two  inches  of 
good  mellow  earth ;  the  little  knolls  which  are  to  be  formed 
over  the  centre  of  the  plants,  are  to  be  over  three  inches  in 
height. 


■I 


,' 


512  ASPARAGUS   CULTURE. 

"  Fifth  Year. — ^The  making  of  hillocks  on  the  Asparagt 
is  to  begin  in  the  month  of  March ;  they  are  to  be  fourtee 
inches  high^  and  their  diameter  is  to  be  in  conformity  wit 
the  diameter  of  each  specimen  or  '  stool.^  The  gathering  i 
to  consist  of  the  heads  on  all  the  large  plants^  and  of  som 
only  on  the  feeble  ones ;  the  gathering  may  last  two  month 
at  most.  In  order  to  get  fine  Asparagus^  the  heads  are  t 
be  gathered  once  every  day,  or  every  other  day,  or  ever 
third  day  at  farthest,  according  to  the  degree  of  tern 
perature.  This  is  the  way  to  obtain  rosy,  red,  or  viole 
Asparagus.  In  order  to  get  it  green  it  will  be  sufiScient  t 
let  the  heads  grow  during  four  or  five  days  more ;  they  wil 
lengthen  and  become  green.  The  second  dressing  is  to  b 
made  as  in  the  preceding  years.  The  stakes  are  to  be  pu 
in  as  soon  as  the  necessity  is  felt,  and  the  stems,  havinj 
regard  to  the  increase  of  their  height  and  weight,  must  b 
firmly  tied,  so  that  the  wind  may  not  disturb  them  ani 
that  they  may  not  be  broken.  In  the  month  of  Octobe 
following,  the  dry  stalks  are  to  be  cut  ofl^  at  fourteen  inche 
above  the  ground.  The  plantation  is  to  be  cleared,  am 
the  ridges  are  to  be  replenished  by  adding  to  them  th 
earth  of  the  knolls  which  have  been  raised  on  the  plant 
for  the  gathering.  Then  the  manure  is  to  be  spread  in  th 
manner  already  indicated ;  and  the  digging  up  of  the  ridge 
is  next  to  take  place. 

"Sixth  Year. — When  the  Asparagus  plantation  shall  havi 
reached  its  sixth  year,  it  will  then  be  in  full  productiveness 
The  forming  of  knolls  is  to  take  place  in  March  during  fin< 
and  dry  weather ;  the  knolls  must  always  be  fourteen  inche 
high,  reckoning  from  the  subterranean  stock.  The  care  t 
be  taken  is  to  be  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  years,  par 
ticularly  with  regard  to  cleanliness  and  staking.  As  fo 
insects,  they  will  be  less  to  be  feared  than  during  the  firs 
years  of  the  establishment  of  the  plantation.  The  beetle 
can  no  longer  lay  their  eggs  on  the  stalks,  since  they  ar 
cut  during  two  months,  and  when  allowed  to  start  up  thi 
time  of  the  laying  of  eggs  is  past.  In  the  month  of  Octobe; 
the  shelving  beds  are  to  be  turned  up  in  conformity  with  th 
manner  shown  for  the  preceding  year ;  the  shelving  beds  ani 


ASPABAGXJS  CULTOBE. 


513 


the  plants  are  to  be  manured,  as  has  been  explained  for  the 
fourth  year.  As  the  Asparagus  plantation  may  last  fifteen 
or  twenty  years,  the  operations  and  the  care  to  be  taken 
are  to  be  repeated  from  year  to  year  in  the  manner  above 
indicated.  Generally,  in  a  well  established  Asparagus  plan- 
tation, the  gathering,  reckoning  from  its  beginning,  is  to 
take  place  during  two  months,  whatever  may  be  the  climatic 
circumstances  under  which  the  plantation  is  placed.  It 
must  have  been  seen  that  the  expense  is  not  very  great; 
the  chief  object  is  the  care  which  must  be  taken.  The 
main  point  is  to  get  good  plants,  in  order  to  obtain  good 
produce.  By  properly  following  the  rules  laid  down  here, 
satisfactory  results  will  be  obtained." 

The  mode  of  forcing  Asparagus  chiefly  consists  in  digging 
deep    trenches 

between      beds  Km.  297. 

planted    for    the  ri         [  "         1        n 

purpose,  covering 
the  beds  with  the 
soil  and  with 
frames,  filling  in 
the  trenches  be- 
tween the  beds 
with  stable  ma- 
nure,   and     pro- 


are  due  ot 
bfinp;  hcnped  mi  the  beda.  Th 
rough  frame",  up  to  the  edge  0 
material  is  piled. 


tectiiig  the  frames  with  straw  mats  and  litter  to  keep 
in  the  heat.  In  the  beginning  of  November  the  pathways 
between  the  beds  of  Asparagus  are  dug  up  about  two  feet 
deep,  and  as  much  wide.  Divide  the  soil  coming  from  the 
pathway  very  careftilly,  and  put  about  eight  inches  thick  of 
it  on  the  surface  of  the  bed.  Fill  up  the  trench  with  good 
new  horse-dung,  and  place  frames  on  the  bed.  The  manure 
should  rise  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  frames,  and  the  lights 
be  entirely  covered  with  mats  and  litter  to  prevent  the  heat 
accumulated  in  the  frame  from  escaping.  About  a  fort- 
night or  three  weeks  after,  the  Asparagus  begins  to  show 
itself  on  the  sur&ce  of  the  bed.  Many  market  gardeners 
cover  the  whole  of  the  bed  inside  of  the  frame  to  a  thick- 
ness   of  three    or   four    inches  with  dung   to   force  more 


514  ASPARAGUS  CULTURE. 

quickly  the  vegetation^  but  in  this  case  the  manure  must 
be  removed  when  the  Asparagus  begins  to  shoot.  When 
the  shoots  are  about  three  inches  out  of  the  ground  they 
may  be  cut.  The  mats  must  be  taken  off  in  the  day- 
time^ but  the  heat  must  be  well  kept  up  or  the  roots  and 
buds  will  fail  to  push.  The  beds  are  forced  every  second 
year  only.  The  gathering  of  the  Asparagus  may  continue 
for  about  two  months^  but  no  longer^  or  the  plantation 
would  be  injured.  When  the  gathering  of  the  Asparagus 
is  over^  the  frames  and  dung  linings  are  taken  away^  and  the 
soil  which  has  been  dug  up  from  the  alleys  is  put  back  again. 
The  preceding  note  applies  to  the  forcing  of  the  better 
qualities  of  Asparagus  chiefly.  I  visited  last  September 
a  place  at  Clichy  in  which  quite  a  specialty  is  made  of 
forcing  the  smaller  sized  Asparagus.  It*  is  the  garden  of 
M.  Caucannier^  Place  de  TEglise^  and  contains  a  number 
of  iron  houses^  just  on  the  same  plan  as  those  in  the 
Jardin  Fleuriste,  already  described.  Indeed^  if  I  mis- 
take not,  those  in  the  Fleuriste  are  copied  from  them. 
There  are  frames  within  each  house,  just  as  in  many 
propagating  houses  in  England,  and  beneath  them  the 
Asparagus  is  forced  for  the  markets,  and  in  incredible 
quantities.  The  houses  are  heated  by  hot  water,  and  the 
culture  in  other  respects  resembles  that  which  is  practised 
in  forcing  gardens  in  England — ^that  is,  when  the  plants  are 
taken  up  to  be  forced  indoors  or  in  pits.  The  disturbance 
weakens  the  roots  a  good  deal,  and  by  this  method  the 
large  table  Asparagus  is  never  forced.  M.  Cauc€ainier 
and  other  growers  produce  it  specially  in  a  small  state  for 
cookery. 


515 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OBSERVATIONS    ON    SOME    OF    THE    VEOETABLES   OP   THE    PARIS 

MARKET  CULTURE    OP   THE    SMALL    CARROT THE     CAR- 

DOON FORCING   THE    CAULIFLOWER  —  THE    SWEET    POTATO 

EARLY     POTATOES OLEANDER     CULTURE CULTURE     OP 

THE     ORANGE SHOWING    ROSES   IN    FRANCE FORCING     THE 

WHITE    LILAC. 

A  VISIT  to  the  markets  of  Paris  is  sufficient  to  interest 
many  in  the  vegetable  culture  of  that  capital.  There  is 
so  much  diflference  in  the  supplies  to  that  market  and  the 
London  one  that  there  is  certainly  much  to  be  learnt 
on  both  sides.  That  so  great  a  difference  should  exist 
in  the  supplies  of  cities  so  near  each  other  is  somewhat 
remarkable.  The  Parisians  make  as  much  use  of  that 
delicate,  wholesome,  and  excellent  vegetable  Seakale  as 
we  in  England  do  of  the  Bread  Fruit  Tree;  and  the 
Briton  who  leaves  London  in  a  hot  and  dry  July, 
having  failed  to  get  a  tender  vegetable  or  salad  at  dinner, 
arrives  in  Paris  next  morning,  and  finds  the  streets  in  the 
neighbourhood  thickly  strewn  with  every  variety  as  tender 
as  if  the  climate  were  a  perpetual  May. 

But,  although  abundant  intercourse  has  long  existed 
between  the  two  countries,  the  fact  that  the  observers  are 
rarely  practical  men,  and  therefore  not  capable  of  seeing 
differences  and  their  value  and  causes,  and  the  difficulty  of 
getting  information  about  the  subjects,  noticeable  improve- 
ments have  not  been  exchanged  from  side  to  side.  There- 
fore, in  addition  to  dealing  with  the  subjects  in  which 
the  French  are  far  ahead  of  us — Salads,  Asparagus,  and 
Mushrooms,  for  example — I  have  thought  it  well  to  speak 
of  any  varieties  of  vegetables  with  which  we  should  be 
better  acquainted,  or  which  are  likely  to  prove  useful,  and 

ll2 


516  OBSERVATIONS    ON    SOME   OF   THE 

to  add  a  few  remarks  about  the  culture  of  any  of  them 
where  desirable.  In  this  I  simply  do  the  best  I  can 
for  the  time^  and  believe  the  subject  is  far  from  being 
exhausted.  My  acquaintance  with  it  only  began  in  1867. 
To  save  trouble  in  inquiries^  I  add  that^  should  any  reader 
find  difficulties  in  getting  seeds  of  any  subject  mentioned 
in  this  book  true  to  name,  he  may  be  certain  of  getting 
them  of  the  best  quality  from  MM.  Vilmorin,  Andrieox, 
and  Co.,  of  the  Quai  de  la  Megisserie,  or  of  MM.  Courtois- 
Gerard  and  Pavard,  Rue  du  Pont  Neuf,  Paris. 

Observations  on  some  of  the  Vegetables  of  the  Paris 
Market. — The  Cardoon  is  much  more  grown  and  eaten  in 
France  than  in  £ngland,  and  its  culture  is  well  understood. 
The  variety  most  grown  and  usually  considered  the  best  is  the 
Cardon  de  Tours  (a  spiny  var.).     A  spineless  variety.  Car- 
don  Plein  Inerme,  is  not  sufficiently  known.     It  is  as  good 
as  the  former,  and  preferable  on  account  of  not  being  fiercely 
armed   with    spines.      The    Artichoke    (Cynara    scolymus) 
is  grown  to  a  very  much  larger  extent  in  France  than  in 
England,  and   its  culture  is  said  to  be  attended  with  much 
profit.    It  is  used  in  every  Parisian  restaurant.    The  variety 
considered  best  is  the  Gros  Vert  de  Laon.     Camus  de  Bre- 
tagne   is   the  kind  that  is  often  used  raw.     Of  Asparagus 
most   people  agree  in   considering  that  of  Argenteuil  the 
best,  though  of  the  distinction  between  the  several  varieties 
there  is  little  certainty.     Of  Beetroots,  there  is  nothing  to 
surpass  our  English  varieties ;  the  best  French   one   is  the 
Longue.     It  is  cultivated  to  a  large  extent  at  Les  Vertus, 
near  St.  Denis,  and  brought  to  market  cooked,  so  that  the 
smallest  portions  may  be  sold  with  salad.     It  is  used  much 
more  than  with  us  by  the  poorer  classes,  especially  with 
Barbe  de  Capucin  in  the  winter. 

The  little  Carrot  which  is  grown  to  such  unvarying  per- 
fection is  the  Rouge  Courte  k  Chassis.  This  and  the  so- 
called  choice  varieties  of  Carrots  are  far  from  being  always 
obtained  true.  Cultivated  as  it  is  in  Paris  it  is  infinitelv 
preferable  to  the  larger  and  coarser  sorts  grown  with 
us,  but  the  difierence  is  chiefly  owing  to  the  mode 
of   growing   it.     The    best    salads   known    are    grown    in 


VEGETABLES    OP  THE  PAUIS    MAUKET.  517 

the  vicinity  of  Paris,  and  among  them  the  various  Endives 
assume  a  great  importance.  Chicoree  Fine  d'Ete  and 
C.  Rouennaise  are  the  best  summer  kinds ;  C.  de  Meaux  is 
the  large  one,  used  in  a  cooked  state  as  we  use  Spinach ; 
and  C.  de  la  Passion  is  a  very  large  variety,  passing  through 
the  winter  well  without  protection.  The  Scarolle  for  winter 
or  autumn  salad  is  a  really  noble  kind  of  Endive,  with 
smooth  leaves,  a  vigorous  constitution,  fine  flavour,  and 
every  good  quality  that  such  a  plant  should  possess ;  and 
yet  it  is  not  at  all  suflSciently  known  or  grown  with  us. 
The  best  kind  is  the  Ronde  or  Verte,  but  the  Blonde  is 
also  good.  Of  the  wild  Chicory  there  is  an  improved  variety, 
Chicoree  am^lioree,  which  forms  little  heads  four  inches  or 
so  in  diameter  in  early  spring,  and  is  then  very  acceptable 
in  a  salad-loving  country.  By  putting  a  cloche  over  stools 
of  this  variety,  these  little  heads,  may  be  had  all  the  winter. 
To  blanch  them  slightly  is  an  improvement,  but  this  variety 
must  on  no  account  be  employed  to  yield  the  Barbe,  that 
popular  Parisian  winter  salad.  That  is  simply  the  common 
Chicory.  It  is  grown  in  vast  quantities  near  Paris,  and 
prepared  for  use  chiefly  in  caves  at  Montreuil — Montreuil 
of  the  Peaches. 

Of  Lettuces,  as  of  Endives,  the  best  known  are  found  in 
and  sent  from  the  Paris  market.  The  earliest  is  the  Crepe, 
or  Petite  Noire  and  the  Gotte  or  Gau ;  a  fine  variety  for 
summer  use  is  the  Blonde  d'Ete;  the  Palatine  or  Laitue 
Rousse  is  also  a  most  tender  and  delicate  variety,  keeps 
long,  and  is  worthy  of  general  cultivation ;  and  the  Laitue 
de  la  Passion  is  an  excellent  winter  kind,  that  may  be 
grown  without  a  cloche  through  the  winter.  In  summer 
and  autumn  the  Grosse  grise  or  Brune  paresseuse  is  also 
an  excellent  variety,  forming  a»  good  heart.  Of  the  Cos 
lettuces,  the  Verte  Maraichere  is  the  one  so  largely  grown 
and  exported  for  spring  use,  and  the  Blonde  Maraichere  is 
the  summer  kind  preferred  and  grown  by  the  market 
gardeners.  Radishes,  we  need  not  say,  are  found  better  in 
Paris  than  anywhere  else.  The  Radish  of  the  Paris  markets 
has  lately  been  sent  out  by  English  houses  under  the  name 
of  French  breakfast  Radish.     The  French  name  of  the  best 


518  OBSKRVATIONS   ON   SOME   OF  THE 

variety  of  this  is  the  Rose  Demi-long  k  bout  blanc.  1 
earliest  Potato  is  the  Marjolin^  the  source  of  an  imports 
culture  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  above  the  Bois  de  Be 
logne.     It  is  kept  all  the  winter  in  the  lights  and  yet  fi 

'  from  frosty  so  that  when  planted  in  spring  marketable  tub 

are  quickly  produced,  and  the  ground  when  cleared  of  eai 
Potatoes  is  fit  for  Haricots  in  May.  Grood  King  Henry  (CI 
nopodium  Bonus  Henricus),  a  really  good  and  delicate  he] 
is  used  to  some  extent  in  private  gardens,  bat  does  not  foi 
a  product  of  the  markets.  Arroche  or  Orach,  both  of  t 
red  and  white  varieties,  is  much  grown  in  private  garden 
Of  Chervil  there  are  quantities  grown  which  to  us  sei 

I  incredible.     It  is  much  used  in  salad.     One   seed  hoi 

I  alone  sells  about  1000  lb.  weight  of  seed  of  it  per  annu 

Bulbous  Chervil  is  an  excellent  vegetable  not  found  in  1 
markets^  but  which  ought  to  be  grown  in  all  private  garde: 
Such  leguminous  plants  as  have  curious  snail-like  se< 
vessels  are  occasionally  grown  under  the  name  of  Chei 
lettes,  to  decorate  salads  and  form  imitation  snails.      Tt 

i  are  of  no  importance,  and  with  us  are  rarely  seen  out 

botanic  gardens,  and  not  often  in  them. 

The  Ciboule,  or  Welsh  Onion,  is  grown  in  quantity 
salad.  Tarragon  is  grown  in  great  quantity  for  use 
vinegar,  and  also  in  a  lesser  degree  for  salads.  The  Girj 
mon  Turban  Gourd  (or  Potiron  Bonnet  Turc)  is  much  m 
where  the  Potiron  would  be  too  large.  Salsify  and  Se 
zonera  are  both  grown  in  much  larger  quantities  than  w 
us.  Of  Corn  Salad,  so  very  important  an  article  in  ' 
winter  salad  consumption  of  Paris,  the  M&che  Ronde 
Doucette  is  the  best  variety  for  autumn  and  winter,  a 
the  M&che  Regence  d'ltalie  for  spring  use.   With  Cucumb 

'  we  are  far  ahead ;  with  Melons  we  go  in  quite  oppos 

grooves.  The  English  Melons  would  not  find  buyers  in  1 
Paris  market,  nor  probably  would  the  French  in  ov 
They  are  eaten  in  quite  diflferent  ways  in  the  two  counti 
— ^in  Prance  with  pepper  and  salt ;  and  some  people, 
whom  the  rich  flavour  of  the  English  Melons  is  too  mu( 
can  enjoy  those  of  the  Paris  restaurants.  The  large  ki 
grown  by  all  the  Paris  market  gardeners  is  M.  Cantalo 


VEGETABLES   OF  THE   PARIS   MARKET.  519 

Prescott  Fond  Blanc.  Of  the  long  Turnips,  or  Navets,  the 
long  Hdtive  des  Vertus  and  de  Croissy  are  the  best  varieties. 
Small  Onions  are  largely  used  with  Peas,  the  kind  preferred 
being  the  Blanc  H&tive,  sown  in  August — this  is  a  good 
kind.  Of  their  keeping  Onions,  Jaune  des  Vertus  is  con- 
sidered the  best.  Sorrel  is  of  importance  in  the  Paris 
markets,  being  largely  used  somewhat  as  we  use  Spinach. 
The  variety  preferred  is  the  Large  de  Belleville.  Of  the 
Dandelion  there  is  an  improved  variety,  good  for  winter  use, 
like  the  improved  Chicory ;  the  common  kind  is  very  largely 
used. 

The  Potiron  Gros  Jaune  is  the  enormous  gourd  of  which 
the  finest  specimen  is  annually  crowned  in  the  market,  and 
is  the  source  of  some  amusement.  It  is  sometimes  grown 
about  200  lb.  in  weight,  and  last  year  a  specimen  was  in 
the  market  which  reached  250  lb.  It  is  largely  used  by 
the  poorer  classes  for  making  soup  in  winter. 

In  Peas  and  in  Cabbages  we  are  in  advance  of  the  French. 
It  may,  however,  be  worth  noting  that  a  superior  and  very 
hardy  variety  of  the  Choux  de  Milan — the  Gros  des  Vertus 
— is  grown  to  a  vast  extent  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Pon- 
toise,  and  sent  to  the  Paris  market  in  March  and  April. 

Brussels  Sprouts  are  grown  to  a  vast  extent  near  Paris, 
especially  about  Rosny  and  Noisy.  The  variety  is  the 
ordinary  one.  They  are  used  in  much  greater  quantities 
than  with  us. 

The  Cauliflower  is  cultivated  to  great  perfection  around 
Paris,  the  varieties  used  being  the  Petit  H&tif  or  Petit  Sa- 
lomon for  earliest  use;  the  Demi-dur  or  Gros  Salomon  for 
summer ;  and  the  Lenormand  for  autumn.  Brocoli  is  not 
grown  by  the  Paris  market  gardeners,  the  market  being 
supplied  with  Cauliflowers  from  Brittany  in  spring. 

It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  Haricots  are  grown  and  used 
in  France  to  a  degree  of  which  we  can  have  but  a  poor 
conception.  They  are  used  every  day  in  winter,  in  the 
smallest  as  well  as  the  grandest  restaurants  in  Paris ;  the 
earliest  is  the  Nain  H&tive  de  Hollande.  The  one  which 
supplies  the  quantities  of  ordinary  Haricot  is  the  Flageolet 
Ordinaire,  or  de  Laon.     The  Bagnolet,  or  Suisse  Gris,  is 


520       CULTURE  OF  THE  SMALL  CARROT 

excellent  for  using  green^  and  for  making  conserres^  and  is 
largely  grown  for  these  purposes ;  and  the  Beurre,  or  Ha- 
ricot d' Alger  Noir,  is  the  excellent  mange-tout^  which  is 
not  at  all  known  with  us.  The  pod  is  quite  tender^  of 
a  yellowish  white,  and  it  is  allowed  to  become  larger  than 
those  of  fully  grown  Scarlet  Runners,  and  then  cooked  entire. 
This  vegetable  is  both  distinct  and  good,  and  deserves  uni- 
versal cultivation  in  the  British  Isle's.  A  new  variety,  called 
H.  Cosse  violette,  with  violet  pods,  is  also  very  tender  and 
of  good  flavour. 

Culture  op  the  small  Carrot  op  the  Paris  Market. — 
Every  visitor  to  the  Halles  of  Paris  or  the  streets  near  them 
during  the  earlier  hours  of  the  day,  must  have  noticed 
vast  quantities  of  pretty,  dwarf,  tender  little  Carrots.  They 
are  always  fresh,  always  to  be  had,  and  never  contain  a 
particle  of  the  tissue  which  makes  the  coarser  Carrots  so 
much  less  valuable.  Even  when  we  do  grow  the  best 
varieties  of  dwarf  Carrots  in  this  country,  they  never  present 
the  cleanly  appearance  of  those  of  the  Paris  market  gardens, 
nor  are  they  so  tender  and  good;  the  following  article, 
therefore,  on  cultivating  them  both  out  of  doors  and  in 
frames,  by  M.  Courtois-Gerard,  of  Paris,  may  prove  iiseful 
to  admirers  of  this  vegetable  in  its  most  perfect  condition. 
Practically,  and  in  a  few  words,  the  success  of  the  Paris 
gardeners  with  the  small  Carrot  results  from  sowing  it,  both 
in  frames  and  in  the  open  air,  on  very  rich  friable  ground — 
the  surface  for  a  couple  of  inches  being  purely  decomposed 
stable  manure,  and  from  giving  it  abundance  of  water  when- 
ever it  requires  it — thus  securing  quick  unchecked  growth 
and  tenderness  of  texture.  However,  we  will  let  this  ex- 
perienced cultivator  speak  for  himself : — 

^^  The  common  Carrot  has  produced  several  varieties,  but 
the  early  or  Dutch  red,  introduced  into  France  about  1800, 
the  Demi-long,  and  the  Rouge  Courte  k  Chassis,  are  the 
chief  kinds  grown  in  the  market  gardens  of  Paris. 

"  Culture  in  Frames. — At  the  beginning  of  December,  a 
hotbed  is  prepared  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  inches  in  thickness, 
the  heat  being  allowed  to  rise  to  from  65°  to  80°  Fahr. 
The  frames   are   next  placed  in  position,  and   filled   with 


OF   THE   PARIS    MARKET.  621 

manure  rotted  into  the  state  of  mould,  mixed  with  earth  to 
the  depth  of  six  inches.  By  using  this  soil  we  obtain 
Carrots  of  a  brighter  red  and  better  quality  than  when 
grown  in  garden  mould  only.  When  the  heat  has  reached 
a  genial  point  the  seed  is  sown,  and  seven  rows  of  the 
Petite  Noire  Lettuce  are  generally  pricked  into  each  frame. 
But  although  by  this  method  we  get  two  crops  from  the 
same  frame,  we  do  not  think  that  there  is  much  advantage 
to  be  gained  from  it,  for  it  is  not  certain  whether  the 
Lettuces  produced  compensate  for  the  harm  that  they  do  to 
the  Carrots.  These  Lettuces  are  fit  to  cut  in  January. 
After  they  have  been  gathered,  a  little  mould  is  spread  over 
the  place  they  occupied,  and  if  the  weather  is  dry  the 
Carrots  are  given  a  slight  watering.  In  the  course  of 
January,  when  the  crop  has  grown  up,  the  linings  of  the 
frames  are  turned  over  and  raised  as  high  as  the  top  of  the 
frame,  so  as  to  increase  the  heat  of  the  bed.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  January,  a  second  crop  of  Carrots  is  generally  sown, 
but  in  this  case  a  less  amount  of  heat  is  required,  and  a 
sowing  of  Radishes  is  substituted  for  the  Lettuces.  When 
proper  pains  have  been  taken,  the  first  Carrots  may  be 
gathered  in  the  first  fortnight  of  April.  If  the  weather  is 
fine  during  the  latter  half  of  the  month  of  March,  and  the 
frames  that  cover  the  Carrots  are  required  for  other  subjects, 
they  may  be  taken  ofi*,  in  which  case  the  Carrots  may  be 
gathered  later.  In  February  and  March  Carrots  are  again 
sown  on  heat,  but  in  the  open  air.  After  this  period  straw 
mats  are  suflScient  to  preserve  the  sowings  from  the  frost. 
These  Carrots  succeed  those  which  were  sown  in  December 
and  January,  and  prepare  for  those  sown  in  the  open  air. 
After  the  Carrots  sown  in  February  and  March  are  gathered. 
Radishes  are  sown,  and  after  they  are  gathered,  turnip-rooted 
Celery. 

''  Sowing  in  the  open  air. — ^The  first  sowings  in  the  open 
air  are  made  in  September.  In  the  eastern  districts  they 
sow  large  quantities  at  this  period.  From  the  commence- 
ment of  the  earliest  frosts  care  is  taken  to  cover  the  sowings 
with  litter,  which  is  taken  up  whenever  the  weather  is  fine 
enough.     When  this  sowing  is  successftil,  the  Carrots  may 


522  THE   CARDOON. 

be  gathered  towards  the  month  of  May.  Other  sowings 
are  made  in  February  and  March,  from  which  time  they 
may  be  continued  regularly  until  July.  But  at  whatever 
time  the  sowing  takes  place,  the  ground  ought  to  be  well 
prepared,  and  the  seed  sown  broadcast,  in  the  proportion  of 
about  nine  pounds  to  every  acre.  After  the  seed  is  sown 
the  ground  is  slightly  covered,  and  then  trodden  down  with 
the  feet,  after  which  a  layer  of  fine  and  thoroughly  rotted 
manure  is  spread  over  the  whole ;  the  ground  is  then  raked 
lightly,  and  watered  whenever  it  is  necessary.  As  soon  as 
the  young  plants  make  their  appearance,  the  crop,  which  is 
generally  too  thick,  is  carefully  thinned  out.  Three  months 
after  the  time  of  sowing,  the  more  forward  Carrots  may  be 
gathered,  the  results  of  the  latter  sowings  being  left  until 
November.  When  the  Carrots  are  gathered,  the  neck  of 
each  is  cut,  and  the  roots  are  prepared,  after  which  they  are 
covered  with  long  litter,  or  else  placed  in  a  house  for  storingj 
so  as  to  have  a  ready  supply  during  the  winter.  In  the  case 
of  light  and  fertile  soils  they  need  not  be  pulled  up,  as  it  will 
be  only  necessary  to  cover  up  the  Carrot  beds,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  gather  them  when  wanted.  The  market  gardeners 
of  Meaux  preserve  their  early  Carrots  by  digging  trenches  in 
the  autumn  three  feet  wide,  two  feet  six  inches  in  depth,  in 
which  they  place  their  Carrots,  and  cover  them  with  straw 
during  the  frosty  weather.  In  this  way  they  are  able  to 
keep  them  until  the  end  of  February  or  beginning  of  March, 
which  is  the  time  at  which  they  begin  to  sell.'' 

The  Cardoon. — The  Cardoon,  being  a  plant  of  very  vigor- 
ous habit,  must  be  grown  in  the  best  and  richest  soil  of  the 
garden,  and  well  watered  frequently.  If  it  is  sown  in  April 
and  not  watered  abundantly  many  of  the  plants  will  go  to 
seed  during  the  summer,  for  which  reason  it  is  better  to 
defer  the  sowing  of  it  until  May,  when  it  may  be  performed 
either  in  the  open  ground  or  in  a  seed  bed.  It  is  better 
to  adopt  the  former  method,  as  the  Cardoon  having  a  very 
smooth,  fibreless,  conical  root  is  ill  adapted  for  transplanting. 
Those,  however,  who  prefer  the  latter  method  may  sow  it 
in  a  seed  bed  and  plant  it  out  when  old  enough.  In  a 
well-dug  bed  about  seven  feet  wide,  two  furrows  are  traced 


THB  CAEDOON.  523 

at  a  distance  of  about  four  feet  from  each  other.  Marks 
are  made  along  these  furrows  three  feet  apart,  aud  three  or 
four  aeeds  planted  at  each  spot  thus  indicated.  If  the  soil 
renders  it  necessary  a  spitful  of  earth  may  be  removed  and 
replaced  by  well  rotted  manure,  and  the  seeds  sown  abont 
an  inch  deep.  The  seeds  should  be  sown  in  quincunx 
fashion.  If  the  weather  is  dry  and  warm,  the  seeds  should 
be  well  watered,  and  they  will  strike  in  a  few  days.  As 
soon  as  the  little  plants  are  above  the  ground,  the  weakest 
should  be  carefully  removed. 

Those  who  prefer  sowing  in  a  seed  bed  should  wait  till 
the  plants  are  four  or  6ve  inches  in  height  and  then  trans- 
plant them  into  the  open  ground  with  great  care,  the  little 
root     being     already   pretty     long. 
The   earth   round  them    should    be  ^,0.299. 

well  pressed  down  and  watered,  and 
the  plants  shaded  until  they  have  . 
again  rooted.  As  it  is  not  until  the 
month  of  August  that  the  Cardoon 
begins  to  he  vigorous,  crops  of  salads 
may  be  sown  and  gathered  in  the 
meantime.  It  cannot  he  repeated  too 
often  that  the  finest  Cardoons  can 
only   be  obtained   by  frequent   and  for  Blaochiiig. 

copious   watering,   the    dose    being 

increased  as  they  grow  larger.  If  the  weather  is  warm 
and  dry,  at  least  a  wateringpotfiil  of  water  should  be 
given  to  each  plant  every  other  day.  In  the  month  of 
September  the  blauching  process  is  commenced,  aud  this  is 
done  in  quite  a  different  way  to  that  practised  in  this 
country.  The  plants  are  simply  tied  up  rather  closely,  and 
then  a  lot  of  long  litter  placed  round  each  in  a  close  tidy 
way,  thestraw  or  long  litter  being  tied  by  small  bands  of 
the  same  material.  The  longest  leaves  of  the  head  are  left 
free  above  this  blanching  material.  But  the  Cardoon  is  so 
fiercely  armed  that  it  requires  a  little  care  to  get  at  the 
great  plants  to  tie  them  up,  fee,  without  being  severely 
pricked.  To  obviate  this  three  sticks  are  used — one  of 
them  short,  and  connected  with  the  other  two  by  strong 


524  POECING   THE   CAULIFLOWEU. 

twine.  The  engraving  will  show  this  simple  contrivance 
and  the  mode  of  using  it  at  a  glance.  The  workman 
standing  at  a  safe  distance  pushes  the  two  handles  under 
the  plants  and  then  going  to  the  other  side  and  seizing  them, 
soon  gathers  up  the  fiercely  armed  leaves.  Another  work- 
man then  ties  it  up  in  three  places,  and  then  the  straw  is 
placed  around  so  as  to  quite  exclude  the  light,  and  also  tied 
up  like  the  Cardoon  itself.  In  three  weeks  the  vegetable  is  as 
well  blanched  and  as  tender  as  could  be  desired.  To  blanch 
the  Cardoon  properly  and  render  the  leaves  perfectly  tender, 
it  should  be  deprived  of  light  and  air  for  at  least  three 
weeks.  It  is  then  cut  just  below  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
and  divested  of  its  straw  covering ;  the  withered  leaves  are 
sliced  off  and  the  root  trimmed  up  neatly.  If  it  is  desirable 
to  preserve  the  Cardoon  for  winter  use  it  should  be  simply 
tied  up,  as  before  directed,  in  the  month  of  November,  and 
uprooted  carefully  with  a  ball  of  earth  attached  to  it,  and 
plunged  in  fine  rotten  manure  or  leaf-mould  in  a  dark 
cellar.  The  decayed  leaves  should  be  removed  every  week 
or  so.  Under  this  treatment  they  become  suflSciently 
blanched  in  a  fortnight,  and  may  be  preserved  in  a  good 
condition  for  at  least  two  months. 

Forcing  the  Cauliflower. — The  best  Cauliflower  forced 
around  Paris  is  the  Petit  Salomon.  It  is  sown  in  the 
open  air  during  the  first  ten  days  of  September  on  very  rich, 
light,  and  fine  earth.  When  the  young  plants  are  well  up 
— that  is  to  say,  commence  to  show  the  first  two  leaves — 
they  are  pricked  out  into  shallow  frames,  surfaced  with  a 
couple  of  inches  of  thoroughly  rotten  manure.  They  are 
very  particular  about  transplanting  them  when  very  young, 
and  before  they  are  drawn,  watering  before  moving  the 
young  plants,  so  that  they  may  be  removed  with  the  least 
possible  mutilation  of  the  roots,  and  they  are  pricked  in 
with  the  finger  at  about  three  inches  one  from  the  other. 
At  the  end  of  November  the  plants  are  strong  and  hardy, 
but  they  must  not  be  allowed  to  grow  too  quick,  and 
therefore  they  are  again  transplanted,  leaving  a  little  more 
space  between  them.  This  second  transplanting  is  to  pre- 
vent the  too  rapid  growth  of  the  plant,  and  to  enable  it 


THE    SWEET   POTATO.  525 

better  to  resist  the  cold.  So  long  as  it  does  not  freeze^  it 
is  better  to  leave  the  plants  exposed  to  the  air.  When  it 
does  freeze  they  are  protected  as  much  as  need  be,  opening 
the  frames,  so  that  the  plants  may  enjoy  the  sun,  and  taking 
care  to  protect  them  carefully  with  straw  mats  at  night, 
sometimes  surrounding  the  sides  with  litter  to  prevent 
the  entrance  of  cold  in  that  direction.  In  February  these 
Cauliflowers  are  planted  on  gentle  hotbeds  from  which 
Lettuces  have  been  cut.  Between  the  Cauliflower  plants 
are  placed  the  Lettuce  known  as  the  Gotte  and  the  Petit, 
and  Gros  Salomon  Cauliflowers  are  planted  alternately,  so  as 
to  insure  a  succession.  Other  kinds  of  vegetables  are  placed 
between  by  some,  but  the  Laitue  Gotte  is  considered  the 
best  and  most  profitable  for  this  purpose.  Gradually  as 
the  season  advances  more  air  is  given  to  the  plants,  and 
when  they  get  too  near  the  glass  the  frames  are  elevated 
by  placing  stiff  wads  of  straw  under  their  comers.  About 
the  beginning  of  April,  if  the  weather  be  fine,  the  frames 
are  removed,  that  they  may  be  used  in  the  culture  of  Melons. 
In  case  of  late  frosts,  an  arrangement  is  made  to  give  some 
protection  by  means  of  straw  mats.  About  the  10th  or 
12th  of  April  the  hearts  are  seen  forming  in  the  Petit 
Salomon,  and  eight  days  afterwards  in  the  Gros  Salomon. 
Thenceforward  the  Cauliflowers  are  visited  every  two  days, 
and  when  the  heart  of  one  is  seen  formed  as  big  as  a 
hen's  egg,  some  leaves  of  the  lower  part  of  the  plant  are 
broken  and  laid  upon  it,  so  that  it  may  be  deprived  of 
light  and  thus  kept  perfectly  white.  When  these  leaves 
wither  or  shrivel  they  are  taken  off,  a  fresh  one  put 
over  the  heart,  and  then  the  old  ones  laid  on  top.  They 
are  thus  regularly  watched,  blanched,  and  cut  when  at 
perfection. 

The  Sweet  Potato. — Louis  XV.,  it  is  said,  was  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  this  vegetable,  and  had  it  grown  for  his  table 
in  the  gardens  of  the  Trianon  and  Choisy-le-Roi.  Prom 
his  day  imtil  about  the  year  1800  the  Sweet  Potato  was 
relegated  to  hothouses  and  botanic  gardens,  but  about  the 
last  named  period  M.  le  Comte  Lelieur,  who  was  appointed 
manager  of  the  royal  gardens^  had  some  grown  at  St.  Cloud. 


526  THE   SWEET  POTATO. 

The  Sweet  Potato  soon  became  fashionable  once  more^  and 
the  many  market  gardeners  of  the  day  grew  the  vegetable 
largely.  Later  its  cultivation  was  again  abandoned  for  the 
sake  of  more  profitable  plants^  and  at  the  present  time 
MM.  DecoufS^  and  Gontier  are  the  only  persons  who  pay 
any  attention  to  it. 

Instead  of  stopping  to  inquire  into  the  modifications  that 
the  cultivation  of  the  Sweet  Potato  has  undergone^  we  will 
confine  ourselves  to  saying  that  at  present  three  varieties  are 
cultivated — the  red,  the  yellow,  and  the  New  Orleans  violet. 
They  are  all  grown  in  hotbeds^  and  they  are  propagated  in 
the  following  manner  : — ^At  the  beginning  of  January  a  few 
tubercles  are  selected  from  those  which  appear  to  be  the  best 
preserved,  and  planted  in  a  hotbed,  the  frame  of  which  must 
be  covered  with  mats  during  the  night.  In  the  course  of  a 
short  time  they  begin  to  grow,  and  the  young  buds  must 
be  taken  oflF  when  they  reach  the  height  of  from  two 
and  a  half  inches  to  three  and  a  half  inches ;  they  are  then 
pricked  into  pots  of  about  two  and  a  half  inches  in  dia- 
meter, which  are  plunged  in  heat  and  covered  with  a 
bell-glass,  after  which  they  may  be  watered  as  they 
require.  As  soon  as  the  young  plants  strike,  an  event 
that  soon  takes  place,  the  bell-glass  must  be  lifted  gradually 
until  they  are  strong  enough  to  dispense  with  it  altogether 
without  drooping. 

Such  readers  as  care  about  this  root — ^which,  by  the  way, 
is  of  agreeable  flavour  when  well  cooked — may  grow  it  most 
readily  and  effectively  by  placing  it  in  a  frame  or  pit  after 
the  spring  crop  has  been  taken  out ;  or,  indeed,  on  a  ridge 
like  the  ridge  Cucumber ;  but  the  pit  or  frame  is  the  safest 
way  generally — the  lights  being  taken  off.  As  pits  and 
frames  are  frequently  empty  from  about  the  1st  of  June  till 
autumn,  room  might  be  readily  spared  for  it  without  loss, 
and  a  usefril  vegetable  added  to  our  stock,  which,  fine  as  it 
is,  is  yet  in  want  of  variety.  The  roots  may  be  bought  in 
Covent-garden.  The  red  variety  is  the  best.  The  way  to 
treat  them  is  to  pot  them  about  the  end  of  April;  start 
them  in  a  gentle  heat,  and  have  them  fresh  and  stubby  for 
planting  out  in  the  pit  or  frame  about  the  1st  of  June. 


BAELT    POTATOES.  627 

They  would  be  the  better  for  the  lights  for  a  few  days.  In 
this  way  they  will  be  fouad  to  do  better  than  when  grown 
in  a  stove,  and  probably  prove  a  more  grateful  vegetable 
than  the  Chinese  yam  in  its  best  state. 

Early  Potatoes. — ^The  supply  of  early  Potatoes  for  the 
market  is  an  important  branch  of  industry  aboat  Paris,  a 
coDsiderable  portion  of  the  slopes  of  the  hill  sides  to  the 
north  of  St.  Cloud  being  devoted  to  it.  I  only  speak  of 
the  subject  here  to  point  out  that  the  cultivators  commonly 
allow  the  Potatoes  to  sprout  vigorously  indoors  before  plant- 
ing them  out,  and  thus  secure  crops  so  early  as  to  have 
them  out  of  the  groand  in  time  to  put  in  summer  crops. 
Some  of  the  houses  of  the  cultivators  are  stored  with 
Potatoes  freely  exposed  to  the  light  in  winter.  It  matters 
little  where  they  are  placed, 
provided  they  enjoy  plenty 
of  light  and  are  kept  per- 
fectly free  from  frost.  The 
usual  plan  is  to  have  a  room 
fitted  up  with  rough  shelves, 
and  placing  the  Potatoes  i 
the  old  oyster  and  fruit 
baskets  of  the  markets, 
store  them  on  the  shelves 
till  ready  to  plant  out. 
Or  the  shelves  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  rough  wooden 
trays,  with  feet  like  those  shown  in  the  accompanying  figure, 
used  iustead.  These  may  be  piled  one  above  another,  and 
may  be  quickly  made  out  of  old  boards  by  the  commonest 
workmen. 

Only  one  layer  of  tubers  should  be  placed  in  each  basket 
or  box.  The  variety  used  is  a  Kidney  Potato,  the  Marjolin  : 
the  roots  are  in  preparation  as  described  so  early  as  No- 
vember, and  are  planted  out  in  February,  the  crop  being 
gathered  in  May  and  June.  There  is  no  need  to  warm  the 
place  they  are  in,  except  indeed  to  keep  the  frost  from 
getting  in,  as  the  tubercles  get  on  very  well  without  it.  In 
case  they  show  signs  of  weakness,  the  windows  of  the  house 
should  be  opened  whenever  the  state  of  the  weather  allows 


528  OLEANDER   CULTURE. 

it  to  be  done  without  danger.  Planted  with  all  the  painft 
necessary  for  the  preserration  of  the  young  shoots^  Potatoes 
treated  in  this  way  come  to  perfection  much  sooner  than 
those  which  are  planted  without  any  previous  preparation ; 
indeed  all  the  gardeners  who  supply  the  Paris  markets  with 
early  Potatoes  prepare  their  seed  in  the  way  we  have  de- 
scribed above. 

Olbander  Culture. — ^Visitors  to  the  Continent  in  the 
summer  months  can  hardly  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  em- 
ployment of  certain  plants  for  decorative  purposes^  of  which 
we  in  this  country  make  comparatively  little  use.  Here,  if 
a  few  Orange  trees  or  Portugal  Laurels,  perchance  a 
Pomegranate,  are  grown  in  tubs  and  put  on  the  terrace  in 
summer  time,  it  seems  to  be  considered  that  enough  has 
been  done  in  that  way.  There  is  no  reason,  however,  why 
many  other  plants  should  not  be  used  in  the  same  manner. 
Some  may  remember  the  beautiful  effect  produced  on  a  quay 
fronting  the  lake  of  Lucerne  by  a  number  of  standards  of 
this  kind,  including  not  only  the  plants  mentioned,  but 
Pittosporums,  Yellow  Jasmines,  Evergreen  Oaks,  Euonymus, 
Aucubas,  and  Figs.  At  Vienna  a  similar  assortment  may 
be  seen  in  front  of  some  of  the  principal  cafes,  where  one 
may  sit  in  the  open  street  under  the  shadow  of  the  Pome- 
granate and  the  Oleander. 

This  latter  plant,  too,  is  an  immense  favourite  with  the 
Parisians.  In  fact,  the  Oleander  forms,  with  the  Myrtle  and 
the  Pomegranate,  one  of  the  most  important  articles  of 
Parisian  commercial  horticulture.  The  reasons  for  this  are 
obvious — the  elegant  habit,  glossy  foliage,  profusion  of 
bright  rosy  or  white  flowers,  endowed,  moreover,  with  an 
agreeable  almond-like  perfume,  offer  recommendations 
hardly  to  be  exceeded  by  those  of  other  plants.  The 
culture,  moreover,  is  easy.  Indifferent  as  to  the  treatment 
it  receives  in  winter,  it  may  be  kept  in  cellars  or  garrets — 
almost  anywhere,  in  fact ;  hence  its  frequency  abroad  in  the 
windows  of  the  artisan  and  at  the  doors  of  the  merchant's 
office.  The  shrub  may  be  propagated  either  by  layers  or  by 
cuttings ;  but  of  late  years,  in  France,  the  former  method 
has  been  abandoned,  as  it  is  found  that  cuttings  produce 


OLEANDER   CULTURE.  529 

plants  of  better  habit^  and  in  greater  numbers.  In  this 
country  the  Oleander  is  rarely  seen  in  perfection,  and  most 
probably  because  it  is  generally  grown  indoors.  The  treat- 
ment given  it  on  the  Continent  insures  the  plant  a  perfect 
rest  in  winter :  as  it  cannot  grow  in  the  cellars,  caves,  and 
dark  orangeries  in  which  it  is  placed.  Therefore,  when  put 
in  the  open  air,  the  accumulated  growing  power  of  the 
plant  pushes  forth  equably  and  immediately :  the  shoots, 
being  produced  in  the  open  air,  are  perfectly  indifferent  to 
any  changes  they  may  have  to  undergo  therein,  and  the 
plants  enjoy  the  full  sun  and  uninterrupted  light. 

It  may  be  noticed  in  two  different  conditions  about 
Paris — in  the  large  specimen  form  in  tubs  of  various  sizes, 
and  as  small  neat  plants  in  six*inch  pots.  These  last 
are  sold  in  great  numbers  in  the  markets,  and  flower  as 
abundantly  as  the  best  managed  of  the  large  specimens. 
The  finest  examples  of  large  specimens  I  have  ever  seen  are 
those  in  the  garden  of  the  Luxembourg  Palace,  and  I  have 
much  pleasure  in  giving  the  following  account  of  their  cul- 
tivation by  Monsieur  Riviere  fils,  son  of  the  talented  and 
excellent  superintendent  of  the  Luxembourg  Gardens. 
Judging  by  the  habit  of  the  Oleander,  as  generally  seen 
with  us,  it  might  be  supposed  that  it  would  not  make  an 
ornamental  tree  for  a  terrace,  but  nothing  can  be  finer  than 
the  immense  specimens  seen  in  the  Luxembourg  Gardens, 
the  heads  being  as  round  and  dense  as  a  Pelargonium  grown 
by  Mr.  Turner,  and  sometimes  as  much  as  ten  feet  through ; 
and  as  for  the  little  plants  grown  in  six-inch  pots,  nothing 
can  be  prettier.  They  are  certainly  far  handsomer  objects 
than  Orange  trees,  grow  equally  well  or  better  in  tubs, 
and  are  more  worthy  of  culture  in  this  way. 

"  This  beautiful  shrub  is  a  native  of  Algeria  and  the  south 
of  Europe.  In  a  state  of  nature,  it  prefers  damp  and 
fresh  soil;  it  is  consequently  found  in  abundance  on  the 
banks  of  rivers  and  the  edges  of  marshes.  In  the  wild 
state  it  rarely  reaches  the  height  of  more  than  from  three 
to  five  feet,  but  under  cultivation  it  may  grow  even  to  nine 
or  ten  feet.  Its  flowers  are  of  a  delicate  rose  colour,  and 
from  seed  horticulturists  have  succeeded  in  obtaining  yellow, 

H  M 


530  OLEANDER  CULTURE; 

white^  and  double-flowering  yarieties,  which  form  some  of 
the  most  beautiful  ornaments  of  our  gardens.  This  plant 
contains  abundance  of  sap^  which  is  very  poisonous^  and 
consequently  very  dangerous ;  it  is  therefore  advisable  ncTcr 
to  put  any  of  the  flowers  in  the  mouth,  and  to  take  care 
that  no  children  should  be  allowed  near  the  plants.  The 
hotter  the  district  in  which  the  plant  is  grown,  the  more 
poisonous  is  the  sap. 

''  The  Oleander  puts  forth  its  flower-bearing  branches  a 
year  in  advance,  and  then  blossoms  for  two  consecutive 
years,  so  it  is  as  well  not  to  cut  them  down  in  the  autumn 
after  the  first  time  of  flowering.  The  beautiful  specimens 
so  much  admired  in  the  Gardens  of  the  Luxemboui^  during 
the  fine  weather  are  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  years  old. 
They  are  grown  in  tubs  three  or  four  feet  square,  and  in  a 
compost  made  in  the  following  proportions :  half  soil  and  cow- 
dung,  a  quarter  rotten  stable  manure,  a  quarter  turfy  heath 
mould ;  the  whole  being  well  mixed  at  the  time  the  tubs 
are  filled.  The  operation  of  re-potting  should  be  performed 
every^  five  years,  about  the  month  of  May.  The  sides  of 
the  tubs  being  moveable,  the  earth  is  taken  away  from  the 
roots  of  the  tree,  which  is  itself  lifted  up  about  three  inches, 
so  as  to  remove  the  soil  all  round  it.  This  being  done, 
broken  flower-pots,  or  similar  substances,  are  thrown  into 
the  bottoms  of  the  tubs  for  the  purpose  of  drainage,  as  is 
usually  done  with  lai^e  shrubs  planted  in  this  manner. 
The  shrub  is  then  lowered  into  its  former  place,  and  covered 
up  with  the  mixture  just  described. 

"  The  Oleander  is  generally  placed  out  of  doors  about  the 
10th  of  May,  and  as  this  plant  grows  naturally  under  a 
burning  sky,  it  is  advisable  to  give  it  as  much  sun  as  pos- 
sible. A  few  days  after  it  is  put  out,  the  surface  of  the 
soil  in  the  tubs  should  be  covered  with  cow-dung,  and 
during  the  whole  of  the  summer  season  they  shoiild  be 
copiously  watered  at  least  three  times  a  week.  As  soon  as 
October  comes,  the  waterings  are  diminished,  and  all  the 
dung  that  is  not  entirely  decomposed  is  taken  away,  the 
surface  of  the  soil  being  stirred  up  with  a  pointed  stick  to 
make  it  more  permeable.     The  Oleander  being  extremely 


OLEANDER   CULTURE.  531 

sensitive  to  cold,  the  plants  should  be  taken  nnder  cover 
once  more  about  the  15tb  of  October,  where  they  must 
remain  until  the  lOth  of  May,  during  which  time  they 
ought  not  to  be  watered  more  than  three  or  four  times 
every  month.  In  France  the  Oleander  tree  is  attacked  by 
a  parasite  called  the  Chermes  nerii,  which  dotes  it  a  grei^ 
deal  of  injury.  While  in  the  greenhouse  no  pains  should 
be  spared  to  deliver  it  from  its  enemy  by  means  of  a  stiff 
dry  brush.  The  mischief  caused  by  this  insect  will  often 
kill  the  tree ;  prompt  means  must  therefore  be  taken  to  free 
the  trees  from  this  pest  as  soon  as  it  makes  its  appearance. 
If,  in  spite  of  all  your  care,  the  Chermes  still  keeps  up  its 
depredations,  you  must  not  hesitate  to  prune  out  all  the  old 
wood  that  is  attacked.  By  this  means  the  evil  may  be 
entirely  remedied,  a  new  set  of  shoots  appearing  and  bearing 
flowers  the  following  year.'' 

The  preceding  details  refer  exclusively  to  the  treatment 
of  the  larger  specimens.  The  pretty  little  free-blooming 
Oleanders  are  grown  about  Paris  in  pots,  five  or  six  inches 
in  diameter,  in  sandy  soil,  and  these  pots  they  very  soon 
fill  with  roots.  They  are  plunged  all  the  summer  in  the 
open  ground,  and  grown  at  all  other  seasons  near  the  glass 
in  those  low  houses  so  much  in  vogue  in  Parisian  nurseries 
and  gardens.  They  flower  profusely,  and  receive  the 
same  treatment  as  Orange  trees,  as  regards  housing  in 
winter.  They  are  allowed  to  rise  with  an  undivided  stem 
for  about  four  inches,  and  then  break  ofl*  into  several 
branches.  There  should  be  no  difficulty  in  growing  them 
wherever  there  is  a  sunny  shelf  in  the  greenhouse,  by 
securing  a  clean,  while  discouraging  a  soft  or  luxuriant 
growth,  giving  them  a  rather  dry  rest  in  winter,  and 
abundant  water  and  light  in  summer.  In  winter  any  cool 
house  will  do  to  store  them,  or  even  a  shed. 

Culture  op  the  Orange. — In  the  following  account  of 
the  cultivation  of  the  Orange  by  Mr.  H.  Jamin  fils,  the 
son  of  the  most  successful  cultivator  of  it  in  Paris,  it  will 
be  clearly  seen  why  and  how  we  fail,  and  why  a  person 
with  an  old  coach-house  or  any  other  rough  structure  with 
a  few  sashes  or  windows  on  its  north  side  may  grow  hand^ 


532  CULTURE   OF   THE   ORANGE. 

8omer  Orange  trees  than  those  with  the  fairest  of  conserva- 
tories. It  should  be  understood  that  it  refers  to  the  culture 
of  Orange  trees  for  placing  in  the  open  air  in  summer,  and 
not  with  a  view  of  growing  them  for  the  sake  of  their 
fruit.  Where  fruit  is  required  from  Orange  trees  in  this 
country  an  entirely  different  system  must  be  pursued,  and 
there  are  signs  that  before  long  all  the  finer  Oranges  will 
be  abundantly  grown  under  glass  with  us. 

"  The  Orange  is  propagated  by  grafting  on  the  stock  raised 
from  seeds  of  Citrus  Medica  (the  Common  Lemon),  or  from 
those  raised  from  seeds  of  the  Common  Bitter  Orange.  For 
the  trade,  plants  grafted  on  the  Lemon  stock  are  the  most 
suitable,  the  Lemon  growing  more  vigorously  than  the  wild 
Orange  tree ;  but  to  secure  the  plant  long  life,  the  latter 
is  the  most  preferable.  The  reason  of  this  will  be  easily 
understood;  the  difference  between  the  Lemon  and  the 
Orange  is  much  the  same  as  between  the  Quince  and  the 
wild  Pear :  like  the  Quince,  the  Lemon  makes  all  its  roots 
at  the  surface  of  the  soil,  the  wild  Orange  goes  deeper,  and 
consequently  the  tree  is  better  able  to  resist  the  wind  and 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  season;  naturally  there  is  more 
analogy  between  the  two  woods,  and  the  result  of  experi- 
ments is  that  the  plants  live  much  longer.  An  Orange  tree 
grafted  on  the  Lemon  may  live  about  a  hundred  years ; 
after  that  time  it  decays  and  perishes ;  an  Orange  grafted 
on  its  wild  congener  may  live  over  300  years — witness  the 
Grand  Bourbon  in  the  Orangery  at  Versailles,  near  Paris, 
which  tree  is  now  more  than  400  years  old,  and  is  grafted 
on  the  wild  Orange. 

Sow  the  seeds  early  in  the  spring  in  a  light  but  not  too 
sandy  soil,  and  in  pots  (twenty-five  to  thirty  per  pot) ;  put 
the  pots  upon  a  dung-bed  (lukewarm),  and  keep  the  soil 
fresh,  but  do  not  have  any  steam  in  the  frame,  and  to  pre- 
vent this  give  a  little  air.  When  the  seeds  have  come  up, 
encourage  them  to  grow  to  three  or  four  inches  high. 
Afterwards  put  them  in  a  warmer  bed,  and  keep  a  damp 
warm  atmosphere  in  the  frame;  shade  them  against  the 
burning  rays  of  the  sun ;  and  when  they  are  seven  or  eight 
inches  high,  give  them  a  little  air,  increasing  it  as  they  get 


CULTURE  OF  THE  ORANGE.  533 

stronger.  Let  them  pass  through  the  winter  in  a  green- 
house^ where  the  temperature  must  not  descend  lower  than 
40°  Fahrenheit^  and  in  early  simimer  put  them  on  another 
hotbed  in  the  open  air  plunged  iu  leaf  mould  or  cocoa  fibre. 
Leave  them  plunged  on  this  hotbed  through  the  summer^ 
and  give  them  plenty  of  water^  and  from  time  to  time  a 
little  liquid  manure. 

About  the  end  of  August  in  the  same  year  graft  them  by 
the  same  method  as  that  practised  for  Roses  in  the  winter^ 
and  put  them  on  a  hotbed,  keeping  as  much  damp  vapour 
about  them  as  possible.  Shade  them  during  th#  sunshine^ 
cover  at  nighty  and  keep  them  close  as  long  as  the  grafts 
are  not  well  united  together ;  they  will  be  safe  long  before 
the  early  frost.  Keep  them  in  the  frame  during  the  winter, 
and  the  next  spring  divide  and  pot  them  in  rich  light  soil 
mixed  with  a  very  little  silver  sand  to  prevent  the  soil  be- 
coming hard :  put  the  pots  on  a  hotbed  in  a  frame,  and 
after  they  are  rooted  give  them  plenty  of  air.  In  the 
middle  of  June,  make  a  hotbed  in  the  garden  and  put  them 
on  it  without  any  covering  whatever,  giving  plenty  of 
water  during  the  hot  weather,  and  three  or  four  waterings 
of  liquid  manure  to  encourage  active  growth.  Before  the 
first  fi-ost  they  must  be  housed,  and  they  will  do  through 
the  winter  in  a  greenhouse  where  the  temperature  is  kept 
three  or  four  degrees  over  the  freezing  point. 

During  the  spring  of  the  following  year  pot  the  plants 
afresh,  and  place  them  on  a  hotbed  covered  with  a  firame ; 
keep  it  close  until  the  roots  begin  to  shoot,  and  give 
air  carefully ;  shading  the  frame  against  the  burning  rays 
of  the  sun,  and  when  frosts  are  no  longer  to  be  feared, 
taking  the  lights  oflf  entirely.  When  they  have  done  their 
growth,  and  the  wood  is  sufficiently  ripened,  pot  them  afresh, 
and  leave  them  in  a  greenhouse  for  a  week  or  two.  Li 
June  make  a  hotbed  in  the  open  air,  covered  five  or  six 
inches  vrith  dung-mould  or  cocoa  refuse,  and  put  them  in 
it.  This  is  the  last  season  during  which  the  Orange  need 
be  grown  upon  a  hot  dung-bed.  The  greatest  obstacle  to 
the  success  of  the  Orange  as  a  terrace-plant  is  the  persis- 
tence of  the  gardeners  and  nurserymen  in  treating  it  as  a 


534  CULTURE  OF  THE  ORANGE. 

greenhoose  subject.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  the  Orange  should 
be  treated  like  common  shrubs^  but  it  is  possible^  with  yery 
httle  care^  to  grow  them  in  England  abnost  as  well  as  in 
northern  France, 

Many  writers  on  this  subject  giye  the  «outh  exposure  as 
the  best  for  an  orangery^  and  therein  is  the  mistake.  To 
insure  the  success  of  Oranges  grown  in  boxes  or  in  pots^ 
they  must  not  in  any  case  be  allowed  to  grow  in  the 
houses ;  all  their  growth  must  be  made  out  of  doors.  It 
is  a  matter  of  fact^  that  if  the  orangery  is  to  the  south,  no 
matter  what  the  trouble  you  take  to  prevent  their  starting, 
the  plants  wdl  begin  to  shoot  a  long  time  before  the 
weather  is  mild  enough  to  permit  of  their  being  placed  in 
the  garden.  A  good  orangery  should  have  a  northern  ex- 
posure, with  plenty  of  windows  to  admit  the  light,  and 
every  convenience  to  give  full  air  when  it  is  not  frosty. 
It  will  be  very  easy  to  heat  the  orangery  in  such  a  position, 
as  the  temperature  required  is  only  two  or  three  degrees 
over  the  freezing  point.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
Oranges  are  grown  out  of  doors  all  the  year  round  in  parts 
of  Prance  and  Spain  where  it  freezes  every  winter.  If  the 
plants,  after  all  the  care  taken  to  prevent  their  growth  in 
the  houses,  begin  to  vegetate,  and  if  the  young  shoots  are 
more  than  an  inch  in  length,  it  would  be  far  preferable  to 
cut  them  back  than  to  let  them  retain  a  growth  which  is 
sure  to  be  disfigured  and  spoiled  in  the  open  air. 

The  watering  must  be  very  carefully  done,  as  too  much 
water  would  be  more  pernicious  than  too  little,  and  espe- 
cially for  the  large  plants,  where  the  soil  is  in  greater 
quantity ;  one  or  two  injudicious  waterings  are  enough  to 
kill  the  best  established  plants.  Good  drainage  in  the 
bottom  of  the  box  or  pot  will  prevent  many  accidents.  In 
the  winter  they  want  very  little  water.  Before  watering  them 
the  grower  should  feel  the  leaves  of  the  tree,  and  if  flabby, 
as  though  on  the  point  of  flaggings  it  is  time  to  give  them 
water.  This  applies  only  to  the  large  plants,  the  large 
quantity  of  soil  employed  for  them  keeping  its  moisture 
for  a  long  time.  The  small  plants  must  be  watered  more 
frequently,  but  still  with  great  moderation  in  winter.  During 


SHOWING   B08E8   IN   FRANCB.  535 

the  summer  water  must  be  given  freely^  but  not  in  excess. 
The  best  time  to  give  it  is  in  the  morning ;  and  at  night 
the  plants  will  require  a  little  syringing  on  the  leaves^  but 
only  in  the  hottest  time  of  the  year.  Liquid  manure  given 
with  great  moderation  will  do  them  good  and  quicken  their 
vegetation.  The  small  plauts  which  have  passed  beyond  the 
hotbed  stage  should  be  potted  in  a  very  rich  light  soil^  and 
not  too  sandy^  say  nine  parts  of  soil  divided  as  follows : — 
Three  of  maiden  loam^  two  and  a  half  of  yellow  loam^  one 
and  a  half  of  old  dung  mouldy  one  of  peat^  and  one  of  sand. 
In  potting  plants  of  a  larger  size^  the  soil  shouldi  be  a  little 
stronger^  and  be  composed  as  follows  : — ^Three  and  a  half  of 
maiden  loam^  three  of  yellow  loam^  one  of  thoroughly  rotten 
dung^  a  quarter  of  peat^  and  one  part  of  sand.'^ 

Showing  Roses  in  France. — ^A  Rose-growing  friend  has 
suggested  to  me  that  it  might  be  well  to  mention  any 
novelties  in  arrangement  adopted  by  the  French  in  showing 
Roses,  but  I  know  of  little  worthy  of  recommendation. 
The  great  exhibition  of  Roses  at  Brie  Comte  Robert — sur- 
prising accounts  of  which  appeared  in  the  daily  papers  at 
the  time — was,  in  some  respects,  a  very  diflferent  affair  to 
what  might  have  been  expected  from  the  reports  of  it 
spread  abroad.  Brie  Comte  Robert  is  situated  in  a  very 
pleasant  country,  twenty  miles  or  so  from  Paris — a  country 
without  hedges  or  ditches,  yet  picturesque  and  pretty  from 
the  number  of  fruit  trees  dotted  over  the  land,  and  with  (at 
the  time  of  my  visit)  the  ears  of  ripening  wheat  bending 
into  the  straight  well-made  roads — a  country  with  rich  sandy 
loam  and  gentle  hills,  like  parts  of  Kent,  and  for  the  main 
part  covered  with  wide  level  spreads  of  wheat  and  vines. 
Brie  Comte  Robert  is  an  ordinary  and  rather  straggling 
little  French  town,  with  an  interesting  old  church  traced 
with  the  beautiful  art  of  the  olden  time,  and  grey  with  the 
lichens  of  a  thousand  years  ;  and  finally.  Brie  Comte  Robert 
has  a  fete  and  a  great  Rose-show,  as  all  the  world  has  been 
informed. 

The  Rose-show,  although  pretty  and  r^narkable  of  its 
kind,  is  not  quite  a  marvel,  but  simply  an  adjunct  to  the 
village  fair.     Now,  the  £^te  of  a  small  place  like  this  is  not 


536  SHOWING   ROSES   IN   FRANCS. 

at  first  sights  or  when  examined  in  detail^  a  thing  to  be 
enraptured  with.  Imagine  a  grassy  yard  or  small  field,  in 
the  centre  of  which  are  a  few  tables,  and  the  little  hut  of  a 
person  who  divines  the  future ;  and  all  round  the  margin,  a 
lot  of  small^  meagre^  dirty,  canvas  tents  occupied  with 
various  things,  fi*om  temporary  restaurants  and  gingerbread 
stalls  down  to  diminutive  billiards  and  little  games  in  which 
the  yokels  of  the  district  invest  a  sou  a  time^  and  now  and 
then  win  a  trifling  work  of  art  worth  about  a  centime. 
Imagine^  in  short,  the  mildest  and  smallest  comer  of  Donny- 
brook  fair/  with  every  drop  of  "  divilment^'  squeezed  out 
of  it,  and  you  have  a  pretty  good  idea  of  the  sight  that 
greeted  my  eyes  as  I  entered  the  show-yard  of  Brie  Comte 
Robert.  But  at  one  end  there  was  a  very  large  oblong  tent, 
and  on  entering  that  a  very  different  sight  presented  itself. 
Here  all  was  fragrance  and  beautiful  colour.  All  the  Boses 
were  placed  on  the  ground — no  stages  of  any  kind  being 
used.  First  of  all,  there  ran  right  round  the  great  oblong 
tent  a  sloping  bed  of  sandy  earth,  about  five  feet  wide,  covered 
with  young  Barley,  the  seed  of  which  had  been  sown  eight 
or  ten  days  before.  On  this  were  thickly  placed  the  Boses 
— eight  rows  deep,  or  thereabouts.  They  were  for  the 
greater  part  shown  in  small  earthenware  bottles,  about  five 
inches  high,  with  long  narrow  necks  and  wide  globose 
bases;  and,  placed  amongst  the  Barley-grass,  they  looked 
very  well  indeed.  Generally  three  or  more  Boses  were 
placed  in  each  bottle,  which  was  made  of  ordinary  garden- 
pot  stuff,  and  of  the  same  colour ;  and  they  looked  so  much 
better  than  those  of  glass  used  by  some  exhibitors,  that 
their  use  should  be  made  compulsory.  Thus  the  most  con- 
spicuous thing  in  the  tent  was  a  dense  bed  of  Boses  around 
its  sides.  In  the  central  parts  of  the  tent  there  were  beds 
of  various  shapes  in  which  the  Roses  were  plunged  in  moss, 
and  mostly  arranged  in  masses;  for  example,  a  bed  of 
700  blooms  of  General  Jacqueminot,  edged  with  a  line  of 
Aim&  Vibert ;  a  bed  of  Madame  Boll,  edged  with  white 
and  red  Boses,  all  the  flowers  plunged  singly  in  dark  green 
moss,  and  so  on.  The  competitors  vied  rather  in  quantity 
than  in  quality,  and  one  exhibitor  showed  as  many  as  600 


FORCING  THE  WHITE  LILAC.  537 

▼arieties  or  supposed  yarieties — certainly  he  had  that 
number  of  bottles.  Others  showed  large  numbers  also^  but 
in  most  eases  the  Boses  were  inferior  to  those  seen  at  an 
English  show.  As  for  the  yarieties^  they  were  chiefly  such 
as  abound  in  England.  There  were  quantities  of  that  line 
Rose^  Marechal  Niel^  to  be  seen^  one  bed  of  it  being  ten  feet 
in  diameter,  the  blooms  plunged  singly  in  moss.  The 
largest  exhibitor  grouped  his  flowers  very  prettily  by  arrangr 
ing  wavy  lines  of  yellow  and  white  varieties  through  the 
long  mass  of  rose  and  dark-coloured  ones. 

Forcing  the  White  Lilac — The  production  of  the  white 
Lilac  seen  so  abundantly  in  Paris  during  the  winter 
and  spring  is  often  a  source  of  curiosity.  To  meet 
with  a  mass  of  it  in  October,  quite  white  and  deliciously 
sweet,  is  a  pleasant  surprise  to  the  English  visitor.  You 
may  see  large  bunches  of  it  in  every  little  flower-shop 
in  the  month  of  January,  and  it  is  always  associated 
with  the  early  Violet  and  the  forced  Rose.  This  Lilac 
is  the  common  kind,  and  yet  it  is  perfectly  white. 
French  florists  have  tried  the  white  variety,  but  they  do 
not  like  it — ^it  pushes  weakly  and  then  does  not  look  of  so 
pure  a  colour  as  the  ordinary  Lilac  one.  They  force  the 
common  form  in  great  quantities  in  pots,  and  to  a  greater 
extent  planted  out,  as  close  as  they  can  stand,  in  pits  for 
cutting. 

The  plants  that  are  intended  for  forcing  are  cut  around 
with  a  spade  in  September,  to  induce  them  to  form  flower- 
buds  freely,  and  they  are  at  first  judiciously  introduced  to  a 
cool  house,  but  after  a  little  while  given  plenty  of  heat,  in 
fact,  from  25°  to  nearly  40°  C.  =  77°  to  104°  F.  At  the 
same  time  abundant  humidity  is  supplied,  both  at  the  root 
and  by  means  of  the  syringe,  but  the  chief  point  is,  that 
from  the  day  the  plants  are  placed  under  glass  they  are  not 
allowed  to  receive  a  gleam  of  light,  the  glass  being  com- 
pletely covered  with  the  paillassons,  or  neat  straw  mats,  such 
as  are  much  used  for  covering  frames,  pits,  and  all  sorts 
of  garden  structures  in  winter.  Thus  they  get  the  Lilac  to 
push  freely,  and  gather  its  white  blooms  before  the  leaves 
have  had  time  to  show  themselves.     The  great  degree  of 


538  FORCING  THE   WHITE  LILAC. 

heat — a  degree  wMcli  we  never  think  of  giving  to  anything 
of  the  kind  in  England^  and  the  total  shade  to  which  tbej 
are  subjected^  effect  the  bleaching.  The  French  commence 
to  cnt  the  white  Lilac  at  the  end  of  October^  and  continue 
the  operation  till  it  comes  in  flower  in  the  open  ground.  In 
the  same  establishments  enormous  quantities  of  Roses  are 
forced^  small^  pretty^  and  unopened  rose-buds  being  in  great 
demand  in  Fari&. 


539 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"  Went  out  at  early  moming,  when  the  air 
Is  delicate  with  some  last  starry  touch, 
To  wander  through  the  Market-place  of  Flowers 
(The  prettiest  haunt  in  Paris),  and  make  sure 
At  worst  that  there  were  roses  in  the  world." 

£.  B.  Browning. 

PLOWER,    FRUIT,   AND   VEGETABLE     MARKETS LIST     OF     PLACES 

IN  WHICH  THE  MORE  INSTRUCTIVE  FEATURES  OF  PRACTICAL 
HORTICULTURE  MAT  BE  SEEN — THE  CLIMATES  OF  PARIS  AND 
LONDON    COMPARED. 

Something  about  the  markets  is  surely  not  out  of  place  in 
a  book  on  the  gardens  of  Paris,  for  all  places  where  the  pro- 
duce of  gardens  is  to  be  seen  in  its  fullest  perfection  ought 
assuredly  to  be  as  interesting  as  any  garden,  and  so  they 
are  when  orderly  and  spacious  enough  to  be  seen  by  others 
than  the  porters  and  small  tradesmen  who  force  their  way 
in  daily.  No  garden  in  existence  possesses  half  the  interest 
of  the  flower,  fruit,  and  vegetable  departments  of  the  fine 
Halles  Centrales,  and  it  is  an  interest  that  is  perpetual,  for 
every  day  brings  its  fresh  materials,  every  week  its  changes 
of  supply.  About  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  before  Paris  has 
gone  to  bed,  the  growers  have  already  arrived  on  the  spot 
and  begin  to  expose  their  freshly  gathered  produce  in  the 
market  or  on  the  wide  footways  of  the  streets  around,  and 
for  eighteen  hours  after  that  time  the  whole  scene  is  one  of 
animation  and  bustle. 

There  is  no  market  where  wholesale  business  is  better 
arranged  or  more  expeditiously  done  than  here ;  but 
what  interests  us  most  are  the  provisions  made  for  the 
retail  trade  —  for  the  purchases  of  the  general  public. 
In  Paris  far  more  than  in  London  it  is  the  custom  to 
go  or  send  to  the  market  daily  in  every  class  of  house, 
rich    or   poor.      Thus    they    are    not   dependent    on    the 


540        PLOWER,  PRTJIT,  AND   VEGETABLE   MARKETS. 

greengrocer,  whose  stock  is  often  yellow  on  his  hands,  but 
go  where  numbers  of  competitors  are  placed  side  by  side, 
and  where  from  the  nature  of  the  arrangement  the  majority 
of  vegetables  exposed  must  be  fresh.  To  secure  them  in 
that  state  is  our  chief  want.  As  regards  the  quality  of 
the  products  when  delivered  by  the  grower,  there  is  rarely 
anything  to  complain  of,  for  the  market  gardener  is  usually 
an  excellent  cultivator ;  but  the  bruising  and  filth  and  delay 
they  encounter  before  reaching  the  customer  in  London 
often  render  them  barely  edible,  while  the  very  poor,  in 
buying  the  cheapest,  often  get  that  which  is  less  fitted  for 
human  food  than  the  garden  refuse  thrown  to  the  pigs  in 
many  country  places.  Everybody  knows  the  utility  and 
even  the  necessity  of  abundance  of  fresh  vegetables  to 
keep  man  in  perfect  health.  I  believe  that  the  propor- 
tion of  vegetables  eaten  by  the  humbler  classes  of  Paris 
and  London  is  as  seven  to  one,  while  all  the  advantages  of 
as  perfect  freshness  and  wholesomeness  as  can  be  secured  in 
a  great  city  are  with  the  former.  The  arrangement  of  the 
markets  has  much  to  do  with  this  difference. 

Our  people  are  great  consumers  of  the  universal  Potato, 
which  suffers  little  from  carriage  or  keeping ;  but  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  them  to  use  any  other  vegetable  as  a  regular 
article  of  food,  while  the  French  workmen  have  a  daily 
variety.  There  is  no  country  in  the  world  where  vegetables 
can  be  grown  more  abundantly  and  cheaply  than  in  the 
country  round  London,  which  can  pour  its  produce  into 
the  great  centre  in  an  hour  or  two  by  rail,  and  yet  for  the 
want  of  a  sufficiency  of  markets,  space,  and  order,  the  public 
is  to  a  great  extent  deprived  of  a  benefit  second  to  none 
other.  As  for  our  chief  fruit  and  vegetable  market,  our 
famous  Covent  Garden,  it  is  a  disgrace  to  civilization.  So 
long  as  the  largest  and  richest  city  in  the  world  depends 
upon  Covent  Garden  as  at  present  arranged,  for  its  fruits  and 
vegetables,  so  long  must  it  find  them  very  deficient.  Why, 
the  want  of  room  alone  is  sufficient  to  frequently  make 
important  differences  in  the  prices,  not  to  speak  of  the 
treatment  the  produce  gets  at  all  times,  and  especially  in  wet 
weather,  the  piles  of  baskets  that  convey  it  to  market  being 


!: 


FLOEWR,  FRUIT,  AND  VEGETABLE  MARKETS.        541 

invariably  heaped  up  over  loads  of  dung.     What  a  contrast 
between  the  central  market  in  Paris  and  this  famous  spot ! 

Can  we  not  secure  a  good  wide  market  accessible  to  river, 
rail,  and  streets  somewhere  on  the  new  Embankment,  and 
leave  Covent  Garden  to  some  one  branch  of  the  trade? 
Can  we  do  nothing  to  remedy  a  state  of  things  which  is  not 
only  discreditable  to  our  system  of  managing  such  matters, 
but  must  have  a  positively  bad  effect  on  the  supplies  of 
almost  every  family  that  invests  in  a  Cauliflower?  The 
new  cattle  market  at  Islington  and  the  new  meat  market 
in  the  City  are  things  to  be  proud  of — they,  like  the 
Thames  Embankment,  are  really  worthy  of  London  and 
the  Victorian  age ;  but  as  yet  we  do  not  seem  to  have 
moved  a  step  towards  the  establishment  of  a  fruit,  vege- 
table, and  flower  market.  Were  this  done  with  as  broad 
and  excellent  an  aim  as  has  been  shown  in  the  two  markets 
just  named,  we  should  have  a  feature  added  to  London 
which  from  its  nature  would  assuredly  be  of  the  greatest 
utility  and  benefit  to  the  public  at  large.  We  should  also 
have  a  grand  exhibition  of  all  that  is  fresh  and  lovely, 
indicative  of  the  fecundity  and  beauty  of  nature  and  the 
industry  of  man  throughout  the  year,  and  presenting  new 
objects  of  interest  every  day. 

In  the  Paris  market,  in  addition  to  every  provision  for 
wholesale  trade,  there  are  streets  of  stalls  containing  every- 
thing the  purchaser  requires,  classified  so  that  the  neat  and 
well-to-do  market  women  who  vend  the  same  sorts  of  produce 
are  brought  into  close  proximity  and  competition  with  one 
another.  The  advantages  gained  by  the  public  are  obvious — 
the  thrifty  housewife  has  not  only  the  opportunity  of  pur- 
chasing everything  good  and  at  a  moderate  price ;  she  also  has 
an  immense  variety  to  choose  from,  and  can  compare  prices. 
But  it  is  needless  to  enumerate  all  the  blessings  that  a  good 
retail  and  wholesale  market  confers  upon  its  neighbourhood. 
One  of  them,  however,  we  do  not  often  think  of,  and  might 
omit  were  it  not  that  Mr.  Sala  admiringly  alluded  to  it 
recently  in  London.  Above  all  advantages,  said  he,  is  that 
so  plainly  written  in  large  letters — no  credit  !  In  those 
little  streets  of  neatly  arranged  stalls  in  all  the  Paris  markets 


542       FLOWER,  FRUIT,  AND   VEGETABLE   MARKETS. 

the  name  and  number  of  the  occupant  is  plainly  printed ; 
there  is  usually  a  free  passage  between  each  two  rows, 
along  which  the  purchaser  can  leisurely  walk  and  sunrey 
the  produce,  and  in  fact  there  is  every  eonvenienoe  for 
both  purchaser  and  seller.  The  adoption  of  the  same 
system  of  stalls  in  our  grand  new  fruit  and  vegetable 
market,  which  we  may,  I  trusty  look  forward  to,  would  be 
a  great  improyement ;  but  London  is  now  so  vast  in  extent 
that  nothing  less  than  a  good  series  of  wdl-managed 
markets  will  ever  supply  its  population  with  a  sufficiency 
of  fresh  Tegetable  food,  which  is  the  most  wholesome  and 
necessary  of  aU. 

The  history  of  the  Halles  Centrales  illustrates  to  some 
extent  the  essentially  practical  turn  changes  and  improve- 
ments have  taken  in  Paris  of  recent  years.  At  one  time 
the  site  was  occupied  by  a  vast  graveyard,  where  the  greater 
portion  of  the  dead  of  Paris  were  gathered  for  centuries. 
At  one  time  it  lay  outside  the  walls,  but  Paris  gradually 
surrounded  it  with  its  narrow  okL  streets^  and  eventually 
the  place  became  a  horrible  nuisance.  Then  the  govern- 
ment caused  the  vast  accumulation  of  human  remains  to  be 
removed  by  night  in  covered  carts,  escorted  by  chantiDg, 
torch  bearing  priests,  to  the  subterranean  quarries  that  lie 
under  Paris,  and  which,  now  filled  with  the  piled  bones  of 
millions  of  men,  are  known  as  the  Catacombs. 

Some  of  the  pavilions  are  not  yet  complete,  but  they  will 
be  on  the  same  plan  as  those  already  in  existence.  The  most 
noticeable  and  admirable  features  of  this  great  covered  market 
are  the  neat  stalls  for  retail  dealers  before  alluded  to,  light- 
ness of  design  and  good  ventilation,  and  the  roomy,  aiiy 
character  of  the  whole.  It  is  constructed  so  as  to  be  a 
protection  against  extremes  of  weather  at  all  seasons ;  it  is 
cool  and  shady  in  summer,  the  system  of  cellars  under- 
neath roomy  and  good,  and  with  many  useful  arrangements 
for  storing  away  the  provisions,  both  live  and  dead.  The 
roof  is  of  zinc,  the  flooring  partly  asphalte,  partly  flags,  and, 
like  every  new  building,  or  avenue,  or  wide  street  in  Paris, 
trees  adorn  the  margin  of  the  wide  footways  around  it, 
shading   the   scene  of  almost  ceaseless  animation  beneath. 


t 


9 


:t 


\  1 


i; 


FLOWER,  fBDIT,  AND   VEOKTABLE  MARKETS.       543 

There  are  many  other  markets  in  Paris,  but  all  of  them  are 
smaller  than  the  Halles,  vhich  offer  most  interest  to  the 
English  visitor.  A  good  deal  of  the  choicer  produce  is, 
however,  taken  to  the  Marchd  St.  Uonor^,  after  having  been 
sold  wholesale  in  the  central  market.  When  finished,  the 
Halles  will  cover  about  five  acres. 

There  are  thousands   of  Parisians  whose  garden  is  the 
window-sill,  <w  a  basket  mossed  over  in  the  sitting-room,  or 
Fi(K30a 


The  Flower  Market  st  Ihe  Madfllet 


a  glazed  case,  and  to  most  of  them  the  flower-market  is  a 
uuraerr;  aud  an  excellent  nursery  too,  for  they  can  get 
numerous  pretty  plants  in  them  in  the  best  of  health  for  a 
trifling  sum.  Considering  that  a  few  miles  of  sea  have  for 
ages  separated  many  marked  customs  of  both  peoples,  for 
good  and  bad,  and  that  14,000  miles  of  sea  have  not  pre- 
vented English  habits,  that  have  never  crossed  the  Channel, 
from  spreading  to  the  Antipodes,  it  is  vain  to  hope  for  the 
adoption  of  such  a  feature  as  the  flower-markets  of  Paris  in 


544       FLOWER,  FRUIT,  AND  VEGETABLE  MARKETS. 

our  great  towns ;  yet  few  could  be  more  agreeable  or  useful. 
They  are  in  themselves^  as  Mrs.  Browning  remarked,  the 
*'  sweetest  spots  in  Paris/'  and  certainly  do  good  by  enabling 
the  poorer  classes  to  freely  enjoy  things  that  are  generally 
admitted  to  have  an  ameliorating  influence.  In  Paris  the 
larger  flower-markets  are  not  in  permanent  buildings,  but 
occupy  spaces  which  may  be.  compared  to  that  in  Trafalgar- 
square — the  plants  being  placed  in  groups  on  the  gravel  or 
flags,  and  the  flowers  and  choicer  plants  under  temporary 
tents.  The  market  once  over,  the  space  is  cleared.  In  the 
great  central  market  and  in  the  minor  markets  there  are 
also  rows  of  stalls  for  flowers;  shops  vending  them  are 
numerous,  and  occasionally  a  solitary  stand  with  abundance 
of  them  is  seen  here  and  there  in  the  streets.  The  regular 
flower-markets  ai^  held  at  the  Place  de  la  Madeleine,  the 
Ch&teau  d'Eau,  the  Quai  aux  Fleurs,  and  in  the  Place  St 
SiUpice — ^twice  weekly  in  each  place. 

They  usually  show  in  abundance  all  popular  flowers — from 
spring  flowers  to  Chrysanthemums ;  but  Palms  and  fine-leaved 
plants  generally — Cactuses,  Mesembryanthemums,  &c.,  in  va- 
riety,are  also  to  be  seen;  aswell  as  youngvegetable  plants,pot- 
herbs.  Shrubs,  Roses,  Oleanders,  and  Pomegranates.  Oranges 
are  also  sold  in  quantity.  Flowers  ready  cut  for  bouquets  and 
room  decoration  are  particularly  well  done  and  very  abundant. 
The  distinctive  feature  of  the  whole  of  these  markets  of  cut 
flowers  consists  of  flower-buds — these  are  sold  in  quantities, 
and  arranged  in  a  way  that  is  unknown  to  us.  Bunches  of 
Roses  may  be  seen  all  of  one  kind  and  colour,  and  all  yoimg 
unopened  buds.  Of  some  of  the  very  dwarf  Roses  they  pick 
buds  little  bigger  than  a  half-developed  Fuchsia  flower.  All 
are  very  pretty,  from  little  pink  and  white  ones  to  the  large 
golden  cones  of  such  Roses  as  Marshal  Niel.  Sometimes 
the  white  Roses  are  surrounded  by  a  band  of  Forget-me-not 
flowers ;  oftener  the  Myosotis  is  sold  in  bunches  alone,  and 
so  is  nearly  every  other  pretty  garden  flower ;  sometimes 
they  are  mingled  with  grasses  and  the  spray  of  such  small 
profuse  flowers  as  Gypsophila,  and  common,  but  none  the 
less  pretty  flowers,  such  as  Forget-me-not,  Lily  of  the 
Valley,  and  WoodruflF. 


>\ 


.  \ 


I' 


4 

* 


.1 

I 


i. 


\ 


LIST   OF   PLACES   OF   PRACTICAL   HORTICULTURE.       545 

List  of  places  in  which  the  more  instructive  features  of 
practical  horticulture  may  be  seen. 

It  is  so  much  better  to  illustrate  a  subject  by  eye-proof 
than  by  any  other,  that  I  venture  to  give  a  list  of  gardens 
in  which  visitors  to  Paris  may  see  for  themselves  some  of 
the  things  spoken  of  in  this  book.  We  may  breakfast  in 
London  in  the  morning  and  dine  without  inconvenience 
in  Paris  the  same  evening,  so  that  those  wishing  to  examine 
for  themselves  any  of  the  subjects  discussed  will  have  little 
diflBculty  in  doing  so. 

Fruit  Culture. — M.Nallet,Brunoy,Seine-et-Mame:  This 
station  is  passed  on  the  way  to  Fontainebleau  and  Lyon,  and 
is  also  that  at  which  you  alight  to  go  to  the  great  Rose- 
show  occasionally  held  at  Brie  Comte  Robert,  so  that 
numbers  of  English  travellers  have  an  opportunity  of  visiting 
it.  Nobody  taking  an  interest  in  fruit-culture  should  pass 
the  station  without  seeing  it.  It  is  within  an  hour  or  so  of 
Paris,  should  a  special  visit  be  paid.  The  garden  is  within 
a  few  minutes  of  the  station,  and  M.  Nallet  is  a  most 
obliging  and  amiable  amateur. — The  Imperial  kitchen  and 
fiiiit  garden,  or  Potagerie,  at  Versailles  (for  Pear  culture  on 
trellises  in  open  quarters,  winter  Pear  culture  against  walls, 
and  horizontal  cordons). — M.  Chardon-Chatillon,  Fontenay 
aux  Roses,  a  little  to  the  south  of  Paris. — Rothschild,  Fer- 
rieres,  Seine-et-Marne :  This  noble  place  has  a  fruit  garden 
which  though  not  very  extensive,  is  exceedingly  well  managed. 
The  fruit  room  is  the  best  structure  of  the  kind  yet  made, 
and  usually  stored  with  a  fine  stock.  The  Grape-room,  in 
which  the  Grapes  are  preserved  in  bottles  on  the  system 
previously  described,  is  also  worth  seeing. 

M.  Rose-Charmeux,  Thomery,  near  Fontainebleau :  This 
garden  is  entirely  devoted  to  Grape  culture  against  walls  and 
also  in  houses.  The  village  is  celebrated  for  furnishing  Paris 
with  a  great  quantity  of  its  favourite  Chasselas  de  Fontaine- 
bleau; indeed  popularly  it  is  supposed  to  supply  all;  but  this  is 
not  the  case,  the  next-mentioned  place  supplying  a  good  deal, 
though  hardly  known.  Nearly  all  the  ground  around  the  village 
is  netted  over  with  walls  devoted  to  Grape  culture.    In  fact  it 

N  N 


646      LIST  OF  PLACES  IN  WHICH  THE  MORE  INSTRUCTIVS 

is  as  much  devoted  to  the  produetion  of  Grapes  as  Mon- 
treuil  is  to  Peaches. — MM.  Crapote  et  Ciijean,  Conflans^ 
St.  Honorine :  A  very  interesting  establishment  for  yine- 
cultnre  in  the  open  air. — ^M.  Lepere,  Montreuil :  This  is 
the  well  known  Peach-grower^  and  it  need  scarcely  be 
remarked  his  garden  is  worth  seeing  at  all  seasons. — ^M. 
Chevallier,  Boulevard  de  PHdtel  de  Ville,  at  Montreuil : 
This  place  is  by  no  means  so  well  known  as  M.  Lepere's, 
but  very  well  worth  seeing.  It  is  not  nearly  so  large 
or  so  long  established  as  the  garden  of  M.  Lepere,  but 
it  would  be  difficult  to  find  more  perfectly  beautiful  wall 
trees  than  are  here  to  be  seen.  The  ground  all  round  this 
village  is  devoted  to  Peach  culture. — M.  Bac-Ivry,  near 
Vitry :  This  is  the  garden  of  an  amateur  containing  very 
nice  examples  of  the  horizontal  cordons^  pyramids^  and  trd- 
lised  trees.  It  is  but  a  few  miles  from  Paris^  the  omnibus  pass- 
ing the  door. — Of  amateurs  successfully  cultivating  fruit  trees 
in  small  gardens  in  Paris^  M.  Laclaverie,  Avenue  du  Boulej 
and  M.  Mattifat  of  Neuilly^  may  be  mentioned. 

Of  nurseries  near  Paris  where  fruit  culture  is  practised  to 
any  extent,  the  following  arc  the  most  worthy  of  being  seen — 
Jamin  et  Durand.  Bourg-la-Reine.  The  partnership  existing 
between  MM.  Jamin  et  Durand  will  be  dissolved  during  the 
present  year,  and  in  future  two  separate  nurseries  may  be 
looked  for  at  Bourg-la-Reine.  Attached  to  each  will  be  found 
an  interesting  "schooP  of  fruit  culture — i.e.,  a  garden  devoted 
to  fully  grown  specimens  of  fruit  trees  both  against  walls, 
trellises,  and  in  the  open. — M.  Croux,  nurseryman,  Vallee 
Daulnay,  Sceaux :  He  has  also  a  very  interesting  fruit 
garden. — M.  Cochet  Suisnes,  Brie  Comte  Robert,  Seine-et- 
Mame  :  Horizontal  cordons  and  Pears  in  the  columnar 
form,  and  young  trained  trees  are  here  in  very  good  condi- 
tion.— M.  Deseine  Bougival,  Seine-et-Oise  :  Here  there  are 
large  nurseries  and  also  a  school  of  fruit  culture.  There  arc 
in  France  many  other  large  nurseries  very  interesting  to  the 
fruit-grower,  such  as  Baltet^s  at  Troy,  Leroy's  at  Angers, 
Oudin's  at  Lisieux,  Leconte^s  at  Dijon,  but  only  those 
within  easy  reach  of  Paris  are  named. 

The  Fig  is  grown  best  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Argenteuil, 


FEATUEES  OP  HORTICULTUEE  MAT  BE  SEEN.        547 


by  various  cultivators.  Its  culture  is  well  worth  seeing.  The 
Apricot  is  very  extensively  cultivated  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Frieul,  Vaux  and  Meulan,  Seine-et-Oise.  It  is,  however, 
needless  to  mention  instances  of  culture  away  from  walls 
and  which  do  not  afford  us  any  practical  lessons.  Of 
governmental  schools  for  fruit  culture  that  nearest  to  Paris  is 
in  the  Bois  de  Yincennes.  It  is  quite  new,  and  is  described 
elsewhere. 

I  have  been  informed  that  the  agricultural  school  ot 
Grignon  has  a  very  good  fruit  garden,  but  I  have  not 
visited  it.  The  nearest  example  to  Paris  of  the  planting  of 
railway  embankments  with  fruit  trees  is  on  the  line  from 
Gretz  to  Colommiers,  Chemin  de  Fer  de  PEst. 

Vboetablb  Culture. — ^The  finest  examples  of  the  culture 
of  vegetables  are  found  in  the  market  gardens  round  Paris. 
The  best  are  near  Asnieres,  and  also  near  Grenelle  and 
Vaugirard.  A  ready  way  to  get  a  general  idea  of  their 
state,  is  to  take  a  seat  in  the  upper  story  of  one  of  the  trains 
of  the  railway  that  runs  round  Paris. 

M.  Courtois-Gerard,  the  well-known  seedsman  and  writer 
on  market  gardening,  has  been  kind  enough  to  furnish  me 
with  the  following  list  of  representative  market  gardens : — 


M.  Pinson,  88,  Rue  de  Charonne,  Paris. 
M.    Julienne-Hichelle,    105,    Rue   de 

Beuilly,  Paris. 
M.  Ledru,  16,  Rue  Mongallet,  Paris. 
M.  Dagorao,  30,  Rue  de  Picpus,  Paris. 
M.   Dulac,   18,  Sentier  St.  Antoine, 

Paris. 
M.  Hebrard,  70,  Rue  du  Pot  an  Lait, 

Paris. 
M.  Marie,  4,  Rue  des  Plantes,  Paris. 
M.  Conard  Louis,  5,  Rue  Volontaire, 

Paris. 
M.  J.  Lccomte  Impasse  Maconnais, 

Boulevard  de  Poissonniers,  Paris. 
M.  Gros,  Rue  de  Paris,  Charonnes. 
M.  Langlois,  Rue  Croix  Ni vert,  Vaugi- 
rard. 
M.  Dumier,  16,  Rue  de  Beuillj,  Cba- 

renton. 
M.  Stiswille  ain^,  12,  Rue  de  Beuillj, 

CharentoD. 
M.  Noblet,  18,  Rue  Bouery,  La  Cha^ 

pelle. 


M.  Ponce,  53,  Route  de  la  R^olte, 

Clichy. 
M.    Dupont,    50,    Rue    de    Hartre, 

Clichj. 
M.  Crosnier,  30,  Route  de  Cbatillon, 

Montrouge. 
M.   Leger   Clande,   237,    Avenue  de 

Paris,  St.  Denis. 
M.  Cbevalier,  10,  Route  de  St.  Denii, 

St.  Donis. 
M.  Gbevet  pSre,  1,  Rue  Valentine, 

Bobigny. 
M.  Cbevalier,  Rue  Montpensier,  Yin* 

cennes. 
M.  IHvert,  Rue  des  Vignerons,  Vin- 

cennes. 
M.  JoUeaume,  23,  Rue  des  Marais  de 

Villers,  Montreuil  St.  Cors. 
M.  Duloc,  2,  Rne  de  Montempoivre, 

St.  Mand4. 
M.  Houdart,  2,  Rue  de  la  Grange,  St. 

Mande. 


Asparagus  is  grown  to  the  greatest  perfection  at  Argenteuil, 

N  N  2 


548      THE  CLIMATES  OF  PARIS  AND  LONDON  COMPARED. 

and  in  the  valley  of  Montmorency.  Among  the  best  cul- 
tivators in  the  former  town  are  M.  FH^ranlt,  of  the  Rue  de 
Calais^  and  M.  Lerot-Salboeuf^  Rue  de  Sannois.  Asparagus 
is  forced  both  at  Argenteuil  and  in  the  market  gardens 
within  the  fortifications  of  Paris.  M.  Caucannier,  Place 
de  PEglise  at  Clichy-la-Garonne^  has  a  curious  and  inte- 
resting establishment  for  forcing  Asparagus  on  a  large 
scale  in  houses  and  by  means  of  hot- water  pipes. 

The  Climates  of  Paris  and  London  Compared. — Most 
people  who  have  visited  Paris  are  under  the  impression 
that  for  clearness^  salubrity,  dryness,  and  heat,  the  climate 
of  the  fairest  of  European  cities  is  incomparably  superior  to 
that  of  London.  The  idea  has  no  doubt  arisen  from  the 
fact  that  most  visitors  to  the  French  capital  choose  either 
simimer  or  autumn  for  their  trip.  At  these  periods  even 
our  own  smoky  metropolis  is  at  its  best ;  but  the  hard- 
working citizen,  who  for  the  first  time  finds  himself  walking 
down  the  boulevards  or  the  Rue  Royale  upon  a  lovely  June 
or  August  afternoon,  sees  the  Paris  climate  in  its  fullest 
perfection.  The  air  is  free  from  smoke,  the  buildings  and 
houses  are  either  dazzlingly  white  or  of  a  delicate  cream 
colour,  and  even  the  mud  itself  is  of  a  clearer  and  brighter 
hue  than  the  greasy,  metallic-looking  paste  with  which  the 
Londoner  is  so  familiar.  Let  him,  however,  choose  No- 
vember or  December  for  his  excursion,  and  he  will  soon 
discover  that  Paris  can  be  as  cold  and  cloudy,  and  even  as 
foggy,  as  our  own  city.  A  few  figures  from  various  unim- 
peachable sources,  both  French  and  English^  will,  it  is 
hoped,  do  much  to  dispel  the  prevailing  notion  of  the  great 
superiority  of  the  climate  of  Paris  over  that  of  London. 

The  climate  of  Paris  may  be  taken  as  being  typical  of 
that  of  the  whole  of  the  north-west  of  France,  its  change- 
ableness,  however,  being  somewhat  less  than  that  of  ihe 
districts  bordering  on  the  sea.  In  general  characteristics 
it  may  be  said  to  stand  midway  between  the  climate  of  the 
north-east  portions  of  the  Continent  and  that  of  the  shores 
of  the  Channel.  It  is  less  cold  in  winter  than  the  former, 
being  warmed  by  the  breezes  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  but 
colder  than  the  south  and  west.     In  summer  it  is  more 


THB  CLIMATES  OF  PA&I8  AND  LONDON  COUPAEED.       549 

temperate  than  the  south  and  east,  bat  hotter  than  the  ex- 
treme west  The  mean  temperature  of  Paris,  taken  from 
a  series  of  official  and  private  observations  running  over 
thirty-six  years,  may  be  taken  at  51*55°  F.  The  lowest 
temperature  observed  during  fifty-two  years  was  2°  below 
zero  F. ;  the  highest  during  the  same  time  was  within  a 
fraction  of  99°  F. 

These  figures  are  worthy  of  a  little  consideration.  For  a 
similar  period  the  averages  of  the  observations  taken  in 
London  by  the  officers  of  the  Royal  Society  are  as  follows : 
Mean  temperature  50*50°  F. ;  highest  temperature,  97°  F. ; 
the  lowest,  5°  below  zero  F.  The  mean  temperature  of 
Paris  is  therefore  a  fraction  over  1°  F.  higher  than  our 
own,  while  the  highest  temperature  only  exceeds  ours  by 
something  less  than  2°  F. 

It  will  be  also  instructive  to  compare  the  mean  tempera- 
ture of  the  four  seasons  in  both  places  with  each  other. 

Paris.  LoDdon. 

Fahr.  Fahr. 

Mean  Temperature,  Spring 500      .    .    .      49*0 


n 


Sammer 64  8      .    .    .      62*5 

Autumn 520      .    .    .      610 

Winter 39  5      .    .    .      390 


It  must,  however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  the  suburbs 
of  London  the  mean  temperature  is  2°  F.  below  that  of 
the  city,  and  that  on  winter  nights,  when  Jack  Frost  is 
striving  his  hardest  to  destroy  all  the  vegetation  within  his 
reach,  there  is  often  as  much  as  4°  F.  diflFerence  between 
the  thermometers  of  the  city  and  the  suburbs.  The  cause 
of  this  variation  is  twofold.  In  the  summer  a  large  quan- 
tity of  heat  is  radiated  by  the  masses  of  brickwork  every- 
where to  be  found  about  the  city,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
amount  absorbed  and  given  off  again  during  the  night; 
while  in  the  winter  the  city  is  obviously  warmer  during 
both  day  and  night,  on  account  of  the  extra  heat  caused  by 
the  numerous  fires,  both  industrial  and  domestic,  that  are 
constantly  burning  within  its  walls.  Paris,  as  a  city,  being 
under  precisely  similar  conditions,  we  may  feel  safe  in  as- 
suming that  the  same  difference  exists  between  the  mean 
temperature  of  the   Observatory  and  Montreuil  as  there 


550      THE  CLIMATES  OF  PAEI8  AND  LONDON  COMPARBD. 

does  between  that  of  Somerset  House  and  Tottenham  for 
instance.  Luke  Howard^  one  of  our  first  and  most  acute 
British  meteorologists^  on  the  strength  of  many  thousands 
of  observations  made  at  Plaistow^  Stratford^  and  Tottenham^ 
gives  the  difierence  between  the  mean  temperature  of 
London  and  the  country  at  2^  F.  exactly^  and  a  careful 
examination  of  his  data  has  proved  his  figures  to  be  correct 
within  a  fraction.  This  difierence  sinks  to  less  than  half 
a  degree  in  spring ;  it  increases  in  summer  and  autumn^ 
and  often  rises  on  winter  nights  to  as  much  as  4^^  F.  It 
is  a  singular  fact  that  towards  the  end  of  springs  when  the 
fires  are  being  discontinued^  and  the  sun  has  not  yet  reached 
his  full  power^  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  day  tempera- 
ture is  somewhat  greater  in  the  country.  This  is  doubtless 
to  be  attributed  to  the  veil  of  smoke  and  cloud  that  is 
hanging  over  the  metropolis.  The  effects  of  the  higher 
mean  winter  temperature  in  the  city  are  singularly  apparent 
in  the  earlier  budding  and  blooming  of  the  trees^  which 
frequently  begin  their  spring  life  several  days  before  their 
suburban  cousins — a  fact  which  may  be  easily  verified  by  a 
walk  from  Haverstock-hill  to  Tottenham-court-road^  just  as 
the  Elms  are  beginning  to  bud^  or  when  the  Pear  trees  are 
putting  on  their  early  spring  livery. 

The  amount  of  annual  rainfall  in  London  only  slightly 
exceeds  that  of  Paris^  although  any  unprejudiced  person 
woiUd  feel  inclined  to  give  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  ntun- 
ber  of  rainy  days  in  London  greatly  exceeded  those  in 
Paris.  The  French  authorities  that  have  been  con- 
sulted differ  somewhat  in  their  calculations^  owing  possibly 
to  having  collected  the  rain  with  dissimilar  instruments. 
The  English  figures  are  fix)m  Luke  Howard,  the  French 
from  Gasparin  and  Bouvard. 

Gasparin.  Bouvard.  Howard. 

Inches.  Inches.           Inches. 

Bainfall  in  Spring 56      .  .      4*0      .  .      5*0 

„         Summer 6-8      .  .      60      .  .       6-6 

„         Autumn 6-3      .  .      6*4      •  .      7-6 

„         Winter 46      .  .      48      .  .      6-0 

22*3  21*2  25*0 


551 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

HORTICULTURAL   MACHINES,   IMPLEMENTS,   APPLIANCES,   ETC. 

Transplanting  Large  Trees. — Not  the  least  remarkable 
feature  of  the  public  gardening  of  Paris  is  the  excellent 
system  of  removing  trees  there  practised.  For  the  following 
article  on  this  subject  I  am  indebted  to  my  friend  M, 
Edouard  Andr^,  the  talented  designer  of  Sefton  Park  at 
Liverpool : — 

*'  The  city  of  Paris,  prior  to  having  formed  the  large 
parks  and  public  gardens  which  she  now  possesses,  had  no 
regular  system  of  transplanting  large  trees,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  old-fashioned  carts  which  had  been  used  at  Ver- 
sailles and  the  other  royal  parks,  and  at  M.  de  Rothschild's 
ch&teaux  at  Boulogne  and  Ferrieres,  principally  for  the  pur- 
pose of  removing  large  Orange  trees  in  tubs,  and  occasionally 
for  transplanting  old  and  valuable  trees. 

*'  These  carts  were  designed  and  constructed  in  the  time  of 
Louis  XIV.,  and  it  may  be  well  imagined  that  they  were 
extremely  cumbersome  and  inconvenient.  In  recent  days, 
however,  when  the  chief  gardeners  and  the  city  architects 
were  often  called  upon  to  extemporize  shady  avenues  in  a  few 
days,  it  became  absolutely  necessary  for  them  to  put  their 
heads  together  to  invent  some  new  machine  which  would 
work  more  easily  and  with  less  damage  to  the  lives  of  the 
trees.  The  first  apparatus  built  consisted  of  a  frame  bearing 
two  moveable  wooden  rollers,  one  on  the  fore-carriage  and 
the  other  at  the  back,  each  provided  with  holes  in  which  to 
place  the  ends  of  the  levers  when  hoisting  up  the  tree.  A 
roimd  case  made  of  sheet  iron  was  hung  in  the  centre  sus- 
pended from  the  rollers  by  chains,  which,  when  the  tree  was 
raised  up  by  the  levers,  held  the  earth-ball  and  roots. 

"  We  do  not  intend  reviewing  all  the  improved  means 


d52  ho&ticvltural  ihplehbntb,  etc. 

snccessively  employed  prior  to  the  actual  model  now 
in  use  (Fig.  801}  being  adopted ;  bnt  confining  our- 
Belves  to  the  apparatus  figured  here,  we  have  only  to  state 


the  way  in  which  the  removal  of  large  trees  is  managed  in 
Paris. 

"  We  take,  for  example,  a  specimen  tree,  thirty  jeaiB  old. 


TRANSPLANTINQ  LABOR  TKEEB. 


553 


thirty  feet  in  height,  the  trunk  of  which  haa  a  circumference 
of  three  feet  at  a  height  of  three  feet  from  the  groand, 
its  total  weight  with  the  earth-ball  being  nearly  two  tons. 
The  operation  Is  commenced  by  staking  out,  round  the 
stem,  the  circumference  of  the  earth-ball,  which  will  be  on 
an  average  about  four 
feet  in  diameter  for 
most  species,  and 
larger  according  to  the 
size  of  the  trees  to  be 
removed.  A  second 
concentric  circle  is 
then  made  about  two 
feet  outside  the  first, 
the  space  between 
which  will  he  the 
place  for  the  trench 
to  be  dug  for  pre- 
paring the  tree. 
The  soil  is  then  re- 
moved &om  this 
trench  to  the  depth  of 
three  feet,  and  the 
small  and  delicate 
roots  are  drawn  out  of 
the  earth,  left  hang- 
ing, and  carefully  pre- 
served. The  earth- 
ball  is  then  under- 
mined to  prevent  the 
roots  from  adhering  to 
the  subsoil ;  two  thick 
planks,  a  foot  wide, 
and  a  little  longer 
than  the  ball,  are  placed  uudemeath  parallel  with  the 
width  of  the  cart,  so  that  they  sustain  the  weight  of  the 
earth  when  the  tree  is  lifted.  Privet  stems  are  now  placed 
vertically,  close  together,  all  round  the  earth-hall,  tied  at 
the  top  and  bottom  with  ropes,  so  as  to  prevent  the  earth 


554 


TRANSPLANTING  LAB6B  TKBES. 


from  crumbling  avay,  and  also  to  protect  the   small   rooti 
from  the  iDclemencies  of  the  weather. 

"  The  removal  of  the  tree  is  then  commenced  in  the  follov- 
ing  manner : — ^Two  stout  thick  planks,  strong  enough  to  sup- 
port the  cart  with  the  tree  slung  in  it,  and  a  little  longer  than 
the  entire  excav»- 
Fio.  808,  tion,    and    hanng 

iron  plates  about 
two  inches  bigber 
than  the  surface 
bolted  on  each  side 
so  as  to  prevent 
the  wheels  from 
slipping  off,  are 
placed  parallel  to 
each  other  across 
the  excavation  with 
the  exact  width 
existing  betwem 
the  wheels,  like 
moveable  bars  at 
the  back  of  the 
cart  are  then  re- 
moved,  and  the 
cart  is  backed  into 
the  ways  until  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  is 
exactly  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  irame. 
The  moveable  bars 
are  then  put  in 
their  place  again  so 
as  to  strengthen 
an  axletree,  but 


Tree-Ulting  M&cliine  :  biwk  visv. 


the  back  of  the  wheels,  which  do  not  run  o 
are  fitted  in  wrought-iron  frames  hanging  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  cart,  as  shown  in  the  woodcut.  The  chains  at- 
tached to  the  rollers  on  each  side  of  the  cart  are  now  lowered 
and  passed  under  the  planks  before  described,  wbicfa  are 
placed  under  the  earth-ball.     When  all  is  fiaat,  four  vrorkmen 


TRANSPLANTING  LARGE   TREES. 


555 


be^n  simultaneously  to   tam  tlie  liandles  attached  to  the 

cast-iron  cog-wheels,  by  which   great   power  is  obtained  on 

the  rollers.     The  tree  is  raised  slowly  and  steadily  until  it 

just  swio^  clear  of  the  gronnd,  and  then  nothing  is  left  to 

be  done  but  to  steady  the  tree  before  it  is  hoisted  up  to  its 

proper  height.  For 

this  purpose  there  *^-  "**■ 

is  at   each  comer 

ofthe  cart  a  strong 

wrought-iron 

book,  to  which   is 

attached  a  block, 

through     which 

runs  a  strong  rope 

fixed  at  the  other 

end  to   a   leather 

collar.    These  four 

ropes     are      then 

raised  up  together 

and      the     collar 

firmly  fastened  on 

the    stem   of   the 

tree    about   aeren 

or  eight  feet  irom 

the     top    of    the 

earth-ball.        The 

tree  can    he    now 

easily       removed 

without  fear  of  its 

falling  over. 

"  The  horses  are 
then  attached  to 
the  cart,  which  is 
drawn  slowly  off  the  ways,  and  the  tree  can  be  removed  with 
safety  to  its  future  resting-place.  If  the  tree  be  vigorous  and 
healthy,  a  hole  a  little  wider  than  the  one  from  which  it 
has  been  removed  should  be  dug  beforehand,  the  earth  being 
placed  carefully  on  one  side  if  it  should  be  of  a  kind  to 
suit  the  tree  about  to  be  planted,  and  if  not,  it  should  be  re* 


Tree-lifting  Machine  :  front  yi 


556        TRANSPLANTINO  LARGS  TREES. 

placed  hj  suitable  soil.  The  average  dimensions  for  the 
hole^  for  an  earth-ball  of  four  feet  in  diameter^  should  be 
about  seven  feet^  so  that  eighteen  inches  are  preserved  all 
round  the  tree  to  be  filled  up  with  good  vegetable  soil.  The 
depth  should  be  equal  to  the  height  of  the  earth-ball^  or  a 
little  more  if  the  tree  be  of  a  species  with  tap  roots.  The 
bottom  of  the  excavation  should  be  filled  in  with  a  little 
good  soil^  which  will  allow  the  top  of  the  earth-ball  to  be 
a  little  higher  than  the  surrounding  ground,  in  accordance 
with  an  instinctive  notion,  which  almost  invariably  induces 
us  to  place  trees  used  as  isolated  specimens  in  lawns  on 
small  hillocks. 

^^  When  this  is  done  the  planks  or  ways  are  placed  in  posi- 
tion as  before  described,  and  the  cart  is  very  carefully 
drawn  on  them  until  the  earth-ball  is  exactly  in  the  centre 
of  the  hole.  The  tree  is  then  slowly  lowered,  and  when  it 
touches  the  groimd  the  guy-ropes  from  the  comers  of  the 
cart  are  pulled  tight,  so  as  to  have  the  tree  perfectly  upright 
and  steady ;  the  chains  are  unfastened  and  hoisted  up  round 
rollers ;  the  two  planks  beneath  the  earth-ball  are  under- 
mined and  removed,  and  the  privet  shoots  taken  off.  They 
then  proceed  to  fill  up  the  hole,  particular  attention  being 
paid  to  the  small  roots,  which  are  each  separately  covered 
in.  When  this  is  finished  and  the  tree  is  considered 
sufficiently  steady,  the  ropes  are  removed ;  the  bars  are 
taken  out  of  the  back  of  the  cart  which  is  drawn  away,  and 
the  bars  having  been  refixed  all  is  ready  for  another 
removal. 

"  An  abundant  watering,  if  the  removal  has  been  made  in 
the  growing  season,  will  be  the  end  of  the  operation.     The 
tree  must  be  now  protected  against  the  wind,  being  aa  yet 
merely  dependent  upon  its  own   gravity,  as  the  roots  take 
time  to  get  hold  of  the  ground.     This  result  is  obtained  by 
placing  at  about  half-way  up  the  stem  of  the  tree  a  padding 
of  straw,  round  which  three  or  four  long  pieces  of  wire-rope 
are  attached ;  these  are  carried  out  on  all  sides  of  the  tree 
and  firmly  fastened  to  strong  stakes  driven  in  the  ground. 
We  may  then  bid  defiance  to  the  strongest  winds  that 
blow. 


TRANSFLANTINQ  LAKQB  TRBB8. 


657 


"  If  drouglit  ia  to  be  feared,  the  stem  and  main  brandies 
of  the  tree  can  be  surrounded  with  plaited  straw  watered 
from  time  to  time,  or  by  a  coating  of  clay  mixed  with  cow- 
dung  and  covered  with  rough  canvas,  which  is  much  about 
the  same  colour  as  the  bark.  Sometimes  in  the  BoalcTardt 
of     Paris      they 

water  trees   aur-  Fi».  305. 

roanded  in  this 
manner  by  pour- 
ing water  through 
a  funnel  from  the 
top,  between  the 
chiy  and  the 
trunk  of  the  tree. 
These  auxiliary 
means  for  keep- 
ing the  tree  alire 
may  be  supple- 
mented by  many 
others,  such  as 
covering  it  en- 
tirely oo  the 
south  side  with 
canvas,  to  pre- 
serve it  from  the 
Bunanddroughtif 
itisof  ararekind; 
by  watering  the 
ground  well  if  it  is 
dry,  or  by  drain- 
ing  the  hole  with 
rubbish  or  drain-  Tnmk  of  Urge  TVe 
pipes  if  the  soil  be  theSmi. 
too  damp,  &c. 

"  The  ordinary  season  for  transplanting  large  deci- 
duous trees  is  from  October  to  April,  and  from  March  to 
April  or  August  for  evergreens.  But  with  sufficient 
care  it  is  quite  possible  to  transplant  trees  all  the  year 
round,    provided    the    weather   be   suitable,  the  roots  on- 


J 


I 

1 


558  TRANSPLANTING  LARGS  TRESS. 


.  injured^  the  soil  good,  and  that  they  be  kept  well  shel 

{  and  watered. 

'^  In  choosing  the  tree  to  be  transplanted,  its  agt 
species  must  be  duly  considered.  For  instance,  it  is  i 
to  remove  a  tree  that  is  sixty  or  eighty  years  of  age 
will  never  produce  as  fine  foliage  as  it  did  before  i 
moval^  nor  will  it  make  any  remarkable  progress  in 
It  is  better  only  to  remove  those  not  more  than  fifteen 
old  and  under  without  any  earth-ball  at  all,  taking  es 
care  to  preserve  all  the  roots  intact.  The  best  age  for  1 
planting  larger  trees  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  years. 
number  of  species  ordinarily  removed  is  limit^,  as  on] 
I  more  common  kinds  of  trees  are  subjected  to  the  pr 

no  one  caring  to  run  the  risk  of  losing  a  rare  and  val 
tree.     In  Paris,  experiments  made  on  various  species 
given  the  following  results : — 
^  *'  Success  nearly  always  certain  :    Elms,  Planes, 

and    red.     Horse-chestnuts,     Limes,     Ailantus,    Cal 
Paulownia,  Celtis,  Planera,  Sophora,  and  Willows. 
\  *  '^  Success  uncertain  but  sometimes  satisfactory :  Po] 

Sycamores,  Maples,  Alders,  Mulberries,  Beech,  Ash,  ] 
nolias,  American  Walnuts,  Cercis,  Diospyros,  and  se 
other  exotic  trees  not  yet  sufficiently  experimc 
upon. 

^'  Success  very  rare :  Robinias,  Crataegus,  Hawth< 
and  nearly  all  the  Rosaceae,  Birch,  Laburnum,  and  i 
Leguminosse,  Oaks  (European  and  American),  Pavias,  £ 
and  Gleditschias/' 

With  respect  to  the  value  of  this  machine  as  comp 

with  any  in  use  in  England,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 

Paris  machine  is  the  best.     Trees  are  there  removed  c 

without  the  least  difficulty  or  fuss,  that,  if  removed  in 

country,  would  probably  be  honoured  with  a  notice  in 

[  local  papers.     The  best  of  our  English  machines  musl 

j  taken  to  pieces  for  the  removal  of  every  tree:  the  be 

I  have  to  be  taken  off  in  order  to  bring  the  wheels  in  posit 

I  then  they  have  to  be  replaced  in  position,  as  well  as 

^  lifting  apparatus.     Besides,  the  machines  are  unwieldy 

awkward.     The  advantage  of  the  French  machine  is,  1 


t 


TRANSPLANTING  LAROK  TRKE8. 


559 


by  removiiig  the  iroD  rod  whicli  connects  the  bind  wheels 
and  the  hind  cross-beam,  the  machine  is  put  to  the  tree 
without  trouble  or  awkwardness.  The  lifting  power  is  by 
means  of  racks,  pinions,  and  levers. 

Besides  the   above-described   excellent  method  for   the 
removal        of 

large      trees,  Fio.  306. 

there  is  a  very 
good  method 
employed  for 
the  transplanta- 
tion of  small 
trees,  specimen 
conifers,  ever- 
greens, and  like 
subjects  Round 
each  tree  a  cir- 
cular trench  is 
opened  large 
enough  for  a 
man  to  move 
about  in  it  at 
his  ease  The 
depth  should  be 
equal  to  that  of 
the  deepest  large 
roots,  and  a  ball 
of  earth  large 
enough  to  in- 
sure the  safe 
removal  of  the 
tree  should  be 
left.  All  the 
smaller  roots 
found  in  the 
trench  should  be 
carefully  preserved.  The  ball  is  shaped  into  the  form  of  a 
truncated  cone,  with  its  smallest  portion  below.  It  is  next 
surrounded   with   light   deal  boards,  separated   &om   each 


560 


TRANSPLANTING  LARGE  TREES. 


other  hj  the  distance  of  three-quarters  of  an  inch  or  no, 
like  the  staves  of  a  barrel.  They  are  next  secured  tem- 
porarily hj  a  suitable  rope.  A  man  then  descends  into  the 
hole  and  fixes  the  rope  by  means  of  the  screw  apparatus 
shown  in  Fig.  307^  so  as  to  press  the  planks  firmly  against 
the  soil  of  the  ball.  The  press  is  then  removed  and  the 
same  thing  done  higher  up^  within  say  four  inches  of  the 
top^  an  ordinary  cask  hoop  being  first  nailed  round  the 
planks  before  the  screw  is  unfixed.  The  ball  being  firmly 
fixed  in  its  proper  position,  it  is  hove  over  so  as  to  get 
to  its  underneath  part.  The  bottom  of  a  cask  having 
its  boards  fastened  together  ^th  a  circular  piece  of  sheet 
iron  rather  larger  than  itself  is  passed  under^  the  iron  being 
pierced  with  two  or  three  holes  and  turned  up  so  that  it 


Fio.  307. 


Screw  used  in  preparing  specimens  for  removal,  as  shown  in  the 

preceding  Figure. 

may  be  nailed  against  the  planks.  In  some  cases  the  stem 
of  the  tree  should  be  fixed  by  iron  wire  to  the  sides  of  the 
improvised  cask. 

When  it  reaches  its  destination  it  is  gently  inclined  to 
one  side  and  the  bottom  boards  removed.  The  hoops  are 
next  unfastened^  the  boards  removed^  and  the  roots  carefully 
arranged  in  their  natural  position^  some  good  earth  being 
spread  over  them.  The  amount  of  success  capable  of  being 
attained  by  this  method  may  be  seen  throughout  the  squares 
of  Paris,  hardly  a  single  tree  having  been  killed  during  the 
plantation  of  the  myriads  now  growing  so  luxuriantly  in 
that  city.  Some  at  Vincennes  have  died,  it  is  true,  but 
after  having  been  transplanted  in  the  rough  and  ready  way 
usually  resorted  to. 


CARRIAGE   FOR   MOVING  ORANGE   TREES.  561 

The  apparatus  costs  a  meFe  trifle^  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  estimate.  A  press  made  of  oak  and  beeeh^ 
with  the  rope  included,  only  costs  eighteen  firancs ;  if  it 
were  made  of  iron  it  would  possibly  cost  less.  For  a  ball 
six  or  seven  feet  in  circumference  and  eighteen  to  twenty 
inches  high,  the  boards,  hoops,  cask  bottom,  sheet  of  iron, 
and  nails  would  cost  less  than  a  couple  of  francs.  If  still 
greater  economy  is  desirable,  what  are  known  as  Yankee  flour 
barrels  may  be  used,  if  they  are  cut  in  two  and  taken  to  pieces. 
With  these  simple  appliances  two  men  can  prepare  five  trees  a 
day  ready  for  hoisting  on  to  the  cart  intended  to  receive  them. 

Carriage  for  transporting  Orange  Trees. — ^The  fashion 
of  growing  large  Orange  trees  in  tubs  is  so  general  in  France 
that  some  efficient  means  of  moving  them  from  place  to 
place  becomes  necessary.  Many  contrivances  have  been 
tried,  and  several  are  in  use,  but  the  best  and  handiest  is 
that  employed  for  the  carriage  of  the  large  specimens  in  the 
gardens  of  the  Tuileries.  For  the  following  notice  of  it  I 
am  indebted  to  my  friend  Mr.  John  Gibson,  the  able  and 
deservedly  popular  superintendent  of  Battersea  Park,  who  has 
long  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  public  gardening  of  Paris : — 

"  The  machine  used  in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries  for 
removing  large  Orange  trees  in  tubs,  of  which  a  longitudinal 
representation  is  given  on  the  next  page,  is  the  most  use- 
ful contrivance   I  have  seen  in  use  for  this  purpose.     Its 
simplicity  and  the  facility  with  which  the  tubs  are  lifted  for 
transit  are  its  chief  recommendations ;  no  taking  to  pieces 
or  removal  of  the  side  beams,  prior  to  load- 
ing,  is  necessary,  beyond  the  removal  of         ^^'  ^^• 
the  hind  axle,  which  consists  of  a  strong 
wrought-iron  bar  with  a  hook  at  each  end,      ii  J 

the  hooks  fitting  into  an  eye  fixed  on  the  in- 
side of  the  stock  of  the  hind  wheels.  They  are  made  fast  with  a 
pin  through  each  hook;  when  this  bar  is  removed  the  machine 
is  backed  to  the  tub,  one  of  the  hind  wheels  passing  it  on 
each  side  until  the  tub  is  midway  between  the  fore  and  hind 
wheels  where  the  lifting  apparatus  is  fixed.  This  being  done 
the  axle  bar  is  fixed  and  the  machine  is  ready  for  loading. 

"  The  stirrups  attached  to  the  lower  end  of  the  upright 

o  o 


562 


HORTICCLTOBAL  IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 


liftiog  rods  are  now  lowered  to  the  bottom  of  the  tub  by 
meaos  of  the  rack  aad  pinioD  machineiy  until  the  two  iron 
bars,  which  are  previously  pushed  under  the  tub,  can  be 
placed  in  the  four  stirrups ;  this  being  done,  all  is  ready  for 
P.«.sm..  li*^e     the     tub 

in  an  upright 
position  by  the 
radc  and  pinions, 
which  are  worked 
by  a  man  on  each 
side.  Wben  the 
tub  is  high  enough 
for  travelling  it  is 
secured  by  means 
of  a  pin  through 
the  four  upright 
lifting  rods  in- 
serted   at   o,   the 


Carriage  for  Iranaporting  (Jiange  Irees. 

..  Fon  carriage,     2.  Side-beams.    S.  Lifting  acre*. 

4.  Stirrups  for  carrying  tub.     5.  Pins. 


tub  being  lowered  ou  to  the  pins  for  travelling.  ITie 
whole  operation  does  not  occupy  the  three  men  required  to 
work  it  more  than  two  or  three  minutes.  The  machine  is 
drawn  by  one  horse,  and  it  will  be  seen  how  easily  and 
quickly  the  magnificent  Orange  trees  alluded  to  are  brought 
from    their    hibernatory    in   the   spring   to    their    summer 


Track  for  moving  Plants  in  tubs  and  largu  pots, 
quarters,  and  as  easily  taken  back  in  the  autumn.    The  fore 
part  of  the  machine  is  made  to  '  lock'  so  that  it  turns  in 
Uttle  more  than  its  own  length.     It  is  in  every  respect  a 
most  complete  apparatus  for  this  and  for  like  purposes." 

Truck  for  Tubs  or  very  labgb  Pots. — This  very  handy 
little  truck.  Fig.  310,  ia  what  the  French  use  for  moving  lai^ 
plants  in  tubs  and  lai^  pots.     It  would  be  difficult  to  find 


QABOEN  CHAIBS  AND   BEATS.  663 

aoytfaing  more  useful  in  its  way.  Large  specimen  plants 
are  quickly  and  easily  moved  by  this  means.  The  pot  or 
tub  is  caught  by  the  little  iron  feet,  then  thrown  on  its 
side  and  tied  firmly  if  a  long  distance  has  to  be  traversed. 

Tubs  for  Orange  Trees,  Sec.  j.,„  3,, 

— Oranges,  Oleanders,  &c.,  are 
BO  much  grown  on  the  Continent 
that  good  kinds  of  tubs  are  of 
high  importance.  There  can  be 
little  doubt  that  the  square  tubs 
now  employed  in  the  public  gar- 
dens of  Paris  are  the  best  and 
most  durable.  I  mean  those  with 
the  hollow  cast-iron  frame  and 
bottom,  and  wooden  sides.     In  '^"^  ^°'  *^""^  ^■™"- 

their  case  renewing  the  sides  from  time  to  time  is  not  a 
matter  of  much  expense.  The  tub  here  figured  is  a  well-made 
wooden  one,  with  a  wide  ornamental  margin  of  metal.  The 
effect  with  good  specimens  is  superior  to  that  of  the  square 
ones  in  common  use,  but  it  is  very  expensive. 

Garoen   Chairs  and  Seats. — The  kind  of  chair  shown 
in  Fig.  312  is  seen  in  quantities  in  all  public  places  in  Paris. 
Fio  312  ^*  ^*^  *  convex  seat  made  of  flexible  strips 

of  metal  springing  from  the  sides  and 
joined  together  in  a  little  central  piece. 
These  chairs  stand  any  weather,  and  are 
nevertheless  as  elastic  as  a  drawing-room 
one.  A  very  neat,  elegant,  and  com- 
fortable conservatory,  pleasure-ground, 
or  summer-house  chair  is  composed  of 
three  of  these  scats  united  in  one,  the 
larger  framework  of  the  back  and  sides 
being  made  of  rustic  iron  about  as  thick  as 
the  thumb,  the  smaller  spray  being  tied  to  the  larger  by  imi- 
tation osier  twigs.  This  is  made  by  M.  Carre,  the  maker  of 
the  greater  number  of  chairs  in  this  way. 

There  are  many  modifications  of  this  kind  of  chair.  One 
on  much  the  same  principle,  but  with  the  elastic  bands  cross- 
ing from  side  to  side  instead  of  all  ending  in  the  centre,i8  made 


504 


BORTICDLTDRAL   IMPLEMENTS,    ETC. 


by  Tronchon,  of  the  Aveone  d'Eylati,  who  has  a  lai^e  collec 

P,„  g,3  of  Bucb  articles.    His  modifica 

of   the  elastic  chair  is    certa 

stronger  than  that  of  Carre,  bui 

durability  and  genera]  good  qi 

tics  the  chaiis  made  in  imitatio 

spht  cane  vork  are  the  best  of 

Fig  313  shoirs  a  combina 

of   moveable    seat    and    sha! 

))ower,  with  a  box  at  the  back 

planting   climbiDg  plants   wh 

L  with  to  cover  the  trellis  work.  ' 

best  plan  would  be  to  train  m 

graceful  and  rapid  growing  ani 

S..twithWford™bir.spUnta.  seeping  plant  On  this.   So  sha 

and  decorated, it  mightprove  very  acceptable  in  some  positi 

The  next  illustration  shows  a  form  of  seat  seen  at  the  F 

Exhibition  of  18G7.    It  consists  of  a  not  uncommon  fom 

garden  seat  with  a  tent-like  shade  supported  as  showi 

Fig.  314.    This  shade  can  be  rolled  up  in  a  moment  liy  mi 

Fio. 314. 


of  the  chain  at  the  ends,  and  let  down  with  equal  faci 
This  seat  would  seem  to  be  a  want  out  of  doors  in  sumi 
and  also  in  conservatories  and  like  structures  in  winter 
spring;  thatis,  where  people  sit  and  read  in  them.  Thei« 
modification  of  it  in  which  the  back  of  the  seat  is  reversj 


GRAFTING   MASTIC.  565 

Grafting  Mastic. — The  thorough  knowledge  of  grafting 
possessed  by  the  French  has  long  ago  led  them  to  inveit 
various  kinds  of  grafting  wax  or  mastic^  which  greatly 
facilitate  grafting.  These,  while  distinct  improvements  for 
propagators  and  practical  gardeners  having  much  grafting 
to  do,  render  grafting  on  a  small  scale  and  in  the  gardens 
of  amateurs  a  pleasant  and  interesting  operation.  The  mix- 
ture of  clay,  dung,  &c.,  commonly  employed  for  grafting  in 
this  country  is  not  such  as  many  amateurs,  care  to  make, 
and  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  doing  it  for  the  sake  of  a 
g^aft  or  two.  The  best  of  the  French  compositions  for 
grafting  is  that  called  Mastic  V Homme  Lefori — an  awkward 
name  for  an  excellent  article  now  sold  in  this  country  by 
Messrs.  Hooper  &  Co.,  the  seedsmen,  of  Central  Row, 
Covent  Garden,  W.C.  One  of  the  most  able  fruit  growers 
and  horticulturists  in  the  country  has  recently  given  his 
opinion  on  this  article  in  the  Gardener's  Chronicle : — 

It  is  a  substance  of  about  the  consistcncj  of  common  white  lead,  somewhat 
resembling  halt-melted  gutta-percha,  and  having  a  very  pleasant  and  agreeable 
perfume.  It  is  ouite  easy  ot  application,  being  readily  spread  over  the  parts 
with  the  blade  of  a  knife  or  a  flat  piece  of  wood,  like  butter  on  bread.  Although 
in  the  box,  away  fit)m  the  air,  it  will  keep  pliable  and  moist  for  many  years,  it 
very  soon  hardens  on  the  outside  after  being  exposed  thinly  on  the  graft,  and, 
as  it  were,  hermetically  seals  up  the  point  of  junction,  and  thus  prevents  all 
access  of  air  to  the  cuts.  It  is  at  the  same  time  quite  elastic,  and  easily  re- 
moved when  required.  It  was  largely  tried  in  various  ways  in  the  Royal  Hor- 
ticultural Gardens,  Chiswick,  b}'  Mr.  Thompson,  who  reported  favourably  on 
its  merits.  I  have  myself  used  it  in  grafting  all  sorts  of  hardy  fruit  trees,  and 
approve  of  it  very  much  indeed.  In  grafting  tall  standards  it  is  better  than 
clay,  which  it  is  difficult  to  flx  at  all  times.  This,  on  the  contrary,  can  be  ap- 
plied with  the  greatest  ease  in  any  position,  and  a  voiy  little  of  it  suffices 
spread  thinly  round  about  the  junction  of  the  scion  with  the  stock.  I  wish 
particularly  to  recommend  its  use  in  grafting  Vines.  For  this  purpose  it  is  far 
superior  to  clay,  or  any  other  article  that  I  have  used — and  I  have  grafted  some 
hundreds.  The  objection  to  the  use  of  clay  or  moss  is  that  in  general  when  the 
Vines  are  growing  a  moist  atmosphere  is  maintained  in  the  house  ;  in  fact,  to 
induce  the  scion  to  break  strongly  it  is  regularly  syringed.  ITie  clay,  &o.,  is 
thus  kept  continually  moist,  and  roots  are  emitted  into  it  from  the  stock,  and 
frequently  from  the  scion  also.  When  this  takes  place,  and  I  have  seen  it  many 
times,  there  is  but  little  chance  of  the  graft  succeeding.  With  the  Mastic, 
on  the  contrary,  no  roots  are  possible,  however  much  the  moisture  and  heat 
applied  externally  to  the  graft  and  stock,  and,  as  a  consequence,  success  in 
Vine  grafting  becomes  almost  a  cortaintv.  I  have  also  found  -the  MaHtic  useful 
in  placing  over  wounds  or  bruises  on  plants  generally,  thereby  enabling  them 
to  neal  quickly.  For  this  purpose,  for  Vine  grafting,  and  for  all  the  more 
delicate  operations  of  grafting,  I  stronglv  recommend  it :  further,  it  is  vei^ 
handy,  always  ready  for  use,  and  so  easily  applied.  With  a  sharp  knife,  a  bit 
of  matting,  and  a  little  sixpenny  box  of  Mastic  THomme  Lefort  (at  which 
price  sufficient  for  100  grafts  can  be  purchased)  any  gentleman  or  even  lady 
can  go  grafting  trees,  at  any  moment,  with  the  greatest  facility,  and  finish  the 


066  HORTICCLTCKAL   IHPI^HENTS,    ETC. 

openlinn  wilhout  ■oiling  the  Bngen.  B. — It  liu  a  distinct  adrantig 
other  ktndi  of  (grafting  mnatic,  inwmDcb  t»  it  tOMj  be  oaed  cold,  whenai 
kfnda  have  to  be  beucd  before  being  Died. 

lupRo^'ED  Fruit  Shelves. — In  the  Pear-room  at  B 
Rothschild's  at  Ferrierea  there  is  a  new  and  excellent 


1   •[ 


l-<,ni<ju  ^C  I'uar  stand  Bt  Fi'niCi 


Eaid  view  of  Pe«r  Btand. 


for  arraii^ng  the  fruit — thcsiicccssiveshelvcsof  splendiril 

being  so  formed  that  every  individual  one  can  l>e  exam 

without  touching  any.  I  iiced  scat 

say  that  in  the  case  of  a  fruit  requi 

so  much   nicety  of  judgment  and 

tention  as  the  Pear  does,  in  the 

dcuer    who    makes   the    most   of 

coIIcetioD,  and  has  each  kind,  or  < 

each  perfect  fruit,  eaten   at  the  i 

time,  this  is   an   improvement. 

Pear-room  in  the  Imperial  gardei 

I   Versailles  usually  presents  a  fine  si 

There  the  old  flat  form  of  bench  i 

Pciiien  of  each  line  of  ^^.  ""id  all  the  shelves  are  closo 

Pearn  in  the  Fruit  room    by  wooden  doors,  SO  as  to  exclude 

light  from  the  fruit. 
Drvino  Fetjit  Booms. — Chloride  of  calcium  is  someti 


THE  PAMIER. 


567 


ased  by  the  French  for  drying  the  air  of  their  fruit  rooma. 
Mr.  Thompson  recommends  in  his  book  chloride  of  lime  for 
drying  the  atmosphere  in  a  fruit  room,  but  he  no  doubt 
means  chloride  of  calcium,  which  ia  a  much  more  powerful 
absorbent  of  moisture.  The  fumes  of  chlorine  given  off  by 
the  former  substance,  which  is  simply  bleaching  powder, 
would  be  injurious  to  the 
colour  and  flavour  of  the  ^"'-  '^8- 

fruit.  Chloride  of  calcium 
is  a  cheap  salt,  costing 
only  a  few  pence  per 
pound.  It  may  be  ob- 
tained at  any  large  opera- 
tive chemist's  or  drysal- 
ter's,  and  should  be  pre- 
served in  well-corked  jars. 
For  use,  a  pound  or  so 
may  be  spread  on  plates 
about  the  room,  and  should 
be  renewed  as  soon  as  it 
shows  a  tendency  to  run 
into    a    liquid.      A    few 


ArrangeiDiiDt  for  the  use  of  chloride  of  cal- 
cium in  the  Kmit  room.  A,  Traj  or  box 
about    twenty  inches   BOuaro,  and  lined 


rt ;  C,  Slope 


Fia.  319. 


pounds  of  this  material  will  be  sufficient  for  a  large  fruit 
room,  for  the  whole  fruit-preserving 
season.  Its  damp-absorbing  power  may 
be  renewed  by  heating  the  wet  salt  to 
redness  on  a  fire-shovel  or  old  frying-pan ; 
but  it  is  so  cheap,  and  so  readily  obtain- 
able, that  the  process  of  renewal  is 
hardly  worth  going  through.  This  sub- 
stance gives  off  no  fumes  of  any  kind, 
and  cannot  be  in  any  way  injurious  to 
the  Grapes,  like  the  salt  reconuoended  by 
Mr.  Thompson. 

The  Panier. — ^Tbis  is  the  article  al- 
luded to  in  the  description  of  the  garden 
in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne.  It  is  much 
used  for  carrying  vegetables,  and  also 
frequently  for  conveying  manure  amongst 

dose  TOWS  of  vines,  and  has  many  similar  uses.     At  first  it 


The  Pan 


'« 


I 


568 


HOBTlCULTCEATi   IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 


I 

i 

t 


;  I' 


\ 


appeared  a  ridiculously  antiquated  thing  to  me,  but  aflbe 
wards  I  often  saw  it  in  efficient  use.  Where  materials  have 
be  carried  through  houses^  and  in  positions  where  barrows 
any  kind  could  not  be  employed,  it  might  be  useful,   ai 
there    is  no  way  by  which  one  man  can   carry  so  mai 
vegetables  as  by  using  it. 

Plough-hoe. — ^This  is  used  for  cleaning  the  numeroi 
long  straight  avenues  in  the  imperial  demesnes.  A  fe 
men,  each  guiding  one  of  these^  clean  the  weeds  from  f 

avenue  almost  i 
Fio.320.  quickly    as    the 

can  walk  along  i 
but  the  textuj 
of  many  waU 
would  not  perm 
of  its  use  at  al 
At  St.  Cloud  an 
other  places  whei 
it  is  used,  tl 
surface  is  quil 
sandy^  and  whei 
ever  this  is  tl 
case  it  may  be  used  with  advantage^  particularly  i 
places  where  many  wood-walks  and  drives  have  to  be  ke] 
in  order.  They  could  not  be  used  on  such  firm  walks  i 
we  have  about  London. 

The  Binette. — ^This  is  a  handy  implement  that  I  thin 
would  prove  more  useful  for  stirring  the 
earth  between  crops  than  anything  we  em- 
ploy. It  serves  as  a  draw  hoe,  and  the 
forked  portion  is  very  efficient  in  loosening 
hard  ground.  There  are  various  slight  modi- 
fications of  the  one  here  figured.  The  handle 
is  usually  about  as  long  as  that  of  the  common 
draw  hoe. 

Frames  for  Forcing. — The  French  market  gardeners  us 
an  immense  quantity  of  frames,  and  it  is  by  their  aid  the 
procure  most  of  the  tender  and  excellent  forced  vegetable 
sent  to  the  markets  in  early  spring.     These  frames  are  mad 


The  PIoQgh-hoe. 


Fio.  321. 


The  Binette. 


I     I 


MATS  FOR  COVERING  PITS  AND  FRAMES. 


569 


of  very  rough  wood ;  are  narrow — ^not  exceeding  four  feet 
in  width  ;  and  arranged  in  close  lines  completely  immersed  in 
the  heating  material.  They  are  usually  about  twenty  inches 
high  at  the  back  and  fourteen  in  front.  Undoubtedly  the 
principle  is  better  and  cheaper  than  our  own.  We  employ 
large  and  well-made  frames  in  private  gardens,  and  for  the 
most  part  place  them  so  that  all  but  the  base  is  exposed  to 
the  influence  of  the  weather,  and  the  plants  therein  are 
more  liable  to  changes  of  temperature  and  cold.  By  having 
the  frames  narrow,  all  the  sidework  rough  and  cheap,  and 
the  frames  placed  in  close  lines,  we  get  the  greatest  amount 
of  heat  at  the  smallest  cost.  By  having  nothing  but  the 
surface   of  the  glass 

exposed,  little  heat  is  Fio.  322. 

lost,  and  when  the 
frames  are  covered  by 
the  neat,  warm,  and 
flexible  straw  mats, 
they  are  as  snug  as 
could  be  desired. 
When   it    is    simply 

desired  to  preserve  bedding  plants  through  the  winter, 
the  spaces  between  the  rough-sided  frames  are  merely 
filled  up  with  leaves  and  slightly  heating  materials.  About 
two  feet  of  space  is  left  between  each  frame,  or  just 
enough  for  the  convenience  of  the  workmen.  Generally 
they  are  put  together  by  the  workmen  of  the  market 
gardens :  two  stout  posts  being  driven  firmly  in  at  one 
end,  and  an  end-board  nailed  to  them.  Then  at  every  four 
feet  or  so  minor  posts  are  driven  down,  and  the  rough  front 
and  back  boards  nailed  to  them.  Numbers  are  also  made 
on  a  plan  by  which  they  can  be  readily  taken  to  pieces  and 
stored  in  a  small  space  while  not  in  use.  By  this  means 
the  ground  covered  by  forcing  frames  in  winter  is  cleared 
for  ordinary  open-air  crops  in  summer. 

Mats  for  Covering  Pits  and  Frames. — In  our  cold 
and  variable  climate,  the  winter  covering  for  many  minor 
glass  structures  is  of  the  greatest  importance.  It  is  a  thing 
at  present  managed  in  a  very  expensive  and  by  no  means 


Narrow  frames  used  for  forcing  by  the  market 
gardeners  of  Pans. 


A 


I  J. 


570 


HOBTICULTUEAL  IHFLKHEHTS,  ETC. 


Fia.  323. 


satisfactory  way.  The  Frencli  mode  of  doing  it  is  mt 
cheaper,  neater,  and  more  effectire ;  and  in  passing  throt 
their  market  gard<»is  and  forcing-grounds  in  vinter,  it 
one  of  the  fint  things  that  seems  to  the  English  hoi 
cnlturiat  as  worthy  of  imitation.  The  covering  used  cc 
abts  of  straw  mats  about  an  inch  thick,  the  Kides  as  ni 
as  if  cut  in  a  machine,  the  mat  knit  together  by  twii 
and  its  texture  such  that  it  may  be  rolled  np  close 
One  of  these  mats,  which  is  mnch  better  as  a  protecti 
than  a  bass-mat,  costs  aboat  one-third  the  present  pr 
of  that,  while  in  point  of  appearance  and  amount  of  pi 
tection  given  the  advantage  is  all  in  favour  of  the  Fren 
paillasson.  The  figure  giv 
represents  a  simple  frame  I 
making  these  mats  in  the  nun 
ries  of  M.  Jamain,  the  celebrat 
cultivator  of  Orange  trees,  and 
append  his  description  of 
There  are  several  frames  for  tl 
purpose ;  and  there  is  also  a  n 
chine  for  making  these  ma 
which  are  indispensable  to  t 
French  gardener;  but  the  o 
here  described  is  the  best  a 
simplest  for  private  use.  "  G 
two  pieces  of  timber  (1)  abo 
three  inches  thick,  four  incl 
wide,  and  as  long  as  reqoirt 
shown    in    Fig.    323,    and   i 


Frame  for  malcitig  Straw  H>ta. 


Pierce    these   timbers, 

troduce  A  in  the  holes  to  maintain  the  same 
between  the  sides,  and  support  the  nails  or  screw, 
shown  in  the  cut.  These  nails  are  to  keep  the  stri: 
tight  (5).  The  board  may  be  shifted  from  hole  to  h( 
so  as  to  make  mats  of  any  desired  length.  The  leng 
of  the  string  must  be  about  three  times  as  long  as  t 
straw  mat,  and  rolled  round  a  little  reel,  shown  at  E.  T 
straw  most  be  placed  on  the  machine  so  as  to  have  all 
cut  or  lower  ends  close  against  the  sides,  the  tops  meetii 
in  the  middle,  and  so  thick  as   not  to  have   the  n 


HA.TS   7011   COVEBINQ   PITS    AND   FRAMES, 


571 


thicker  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch  when  finished.  The 
stitches  must  not  be  wider  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch, 
and  be  worked  as  follows  (see  F  of  the  figure).  Take  a 
tittle  of  the  straw  with  the  left  hand,  and  work  the  reel 
with  the  right,  first  over  the  straw,  then  over  the  bended 
string,  coming  back  underneath,  and  swiitly  passing  it 
between  the  two  strings,  pulling  tightly  and  pressing 
the  straw,  so  as  to  have  a  flat  stitch,  and  not  thicker  than 
three- quarters  of  an  inch  at  the  most.  The  same  operation 
is  repeated  until  the  mat  is  fiuisbed.  The  machine  described 
has  been  at  work  for  the  last  twenty  years  in  our  nurseiy, 
at  Paris,  and  is  still  as  good  as  new.  An  ordinary  workman 
may  make  daily  from  thirty  to  forty  yards  mu  of  these 
straw   mats   with 

it."  Fio.  324. 

AU  new  or 
strange  things  of 
this  sort  are  adopt- 
ed slowly  by  hor- 
ticulturists j  but 
that  they  would 
immediately  use 
this,  if  they  had 
an  opportunity  of 
seeing  it  in  work- 
ing order,  I  have 
no  doubt ;  and  I 
hope  yet  to  see  it 
in  general  use  in  British  gardens.  In  France  these  mats  are 
found  so  useful  that  they  are  employed  for  many  purposes 
besides  that  of  covering  frames,  and  they  even  form  a  very 
effective  temporary  coping  for  walls  in  some  cases.  I 
doubt  very  much  if  anything  I  can  say  for  them  will  give  a 
fall  idea  of  their  utility.  In  all  gardens  where  men  are  regu- 
larly employed  they  may  be  made  during  bad  weather  in 
winter;  and  as  there  is  often  a  difficulty  about  procnring 
enough  of  usefnl  indoor  work  for  men  at  such  times, 
the  making  of  these  mats  will  be  a  gain  from  that  point  of 
view  alone.     In  country  places,  where  straw  is  abundant^ 


(paillosian)  Died  for  coTering  framei. 


I 


A 

1, 


li 


572  HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS^   ETC. 

I    .  their  cost  would  be  a  mere  trifle.     Around  Paris  so  great 

i     f  the  demand  for  these  mats  that^  in  addition  to  being  ma 

,1     >  abundantly  by  hand  as  described  above^  they  are  also  ma 

by  machinery.    There  is  indeed  an  establishment  for  mai 
facturing  them  thus  belonging  to  M.  Dorleans^  37,  Rue  < 
I  Landy,  Clichy.     The  nurseries  of  the  city  are  supplied 

'\  him,  and  many  people  find  the  machine  mats  cheaper  th 

those  they  make  by  hand. 

The  Numeroteur. — Numbering  instead  of  labelling 
now    adopted   in    so    many   gardens    and    nurseries,    tl 
I  this  instrument  cannot  fail  to  be  useful.     The  followi 

j(  description    of  it    originally    appeared   in  the   Gardene, 

Chronicle : — "  Horticulture  is  a  science  so  vast,  and  ei 
braces  subjects  so  different,  that  however  good  a  mai 
memory  may  be  it  is  insufficient,  and  hence  it  becon: 
necessary  to  give  it  mechanical  aid.  Among  the  mea 
»  \  employed  are  tickets  or  labels  written  upon  parchment 

paper,  or  small  pieces  of  wood  or  zinc ;   but  these  are  so 
J  effaced,  and  are  very  liable  to  get  lost  or  displaced.    A  ve 

good  plan  frequently  adopted  consists  in  the  use  of  sm; 
bands  of  lead,  which  are  rolled  round  the  stems  or  brand 
of  the  plants.  Upon  this  lead  a  number  is  marked,  con 
sponding  with  a  catalogue,  in  which  the  name  and  any  pa 
ticular  remarks  are  entered.  This  method  is  siire ;  but 
carry  it  out  several  things  are  necessary.  First,  there 
wanted  a  series  of  numbers  firom  1  to  10,  or  rather  fit 
1  to  9,  the  zero,  combined  with  other  figures,  making  t 
numbers  10,  20,  100,  &c.  Then  this  series  of  numb 
must  be  fixed  upon  a  block  of  wood,  and  the  figures  ha 
{  to  be  impressed  upon  the  leads  by  means  of  a  small  hamm 

•    I  So  that  to  mark  the  leads  we  want — 1st,  a  pair  of  scisst 

to  cut  the  metal ;  2nd,  a  set  of  numbers ;  3rd,  a  block 
receive  them ;  and  4th,  a  hammer  to  strike  and  indenfc  i 
I  figures  in   the   leads.      This  apparatus   therefore    becon 

I  troublesome,  especially  when  it  is  necessary  to  change 

place,  as  is  the  case  when  it  has  to  be  used  in  differe 
parts  of  a  large  garden,  or  in  a  field.  Besides,  it  suffii 
for  one  of  the  little  figures  to  be  lost  to  render  the  wh< 
series  useless. 


M 

/ 


I 


TH£    NVH^aOTQUR. 


B73 


"A  consideration  of  these  inconveniences  induced  an  in- 
genious cutler,  M.  Hardiville,  of  the  Rue  St.  Jacques,  in 
Paris,  to  invent  the  Numerotenr,  or  Nnmbering  Pincers. 
This  instrument  in  its  ge- 
neral form  resembles  a  large 
pair  of  scissors,  in  which 
the  blades  instead  of  being  I 
cutting  are  flat  aud  bluut,  i 
with  the  upper  extremity 
prolonged.  Ou  the  inner 
side  of  the  upper  of  these 
blades  is  fixed  a  series  of 
ten  figures  arranged  in 
order,  from  1  to  9,  followed 
by  0,  These  figures  are 
placed  at  the  end  of  small 
steel  shanks  screwed  into 
the  blade,  and  upon  the 
opposite  blade,  which  is  flat, 
the  figures  arc  marked  in 
hollows,  so  that,  without 
grouping,  one  is  able  to 
efiect  with  certainty  any 
necessary  numerical  com- 
binations. A  pressure  of 
the  blades  suffices  to  indent 
the  figure  in  the  piece  of 
lead  that  has  been  placed 
between  them,  and  the  lead 
is  then  withdrawn  aud 
placed  in  the  same  way  be- 
neath whatever  other  figure 
or  figures  may  make  up  the 
number  required.  The  blades 
of  these  nnmbering  pincers 
work    upon    a    movement 

similar  to  that  of  a  pair  of  scissors,  the  alternate  opening  and 
shutting  of  the  curved  portion  or  handle  also  opening  aud 
shutting  the  two  opposite  blades,  so  that  tt  is  only  necessary  to 


The  Nninerotanr. 


574  HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS^  ETC. 

put  the  plate  of  lead  straight  with  the  figure  which  is  wanted, 
and  then  to  make  a  pressure^  to  have  this  figure  indented 
on  it.  At  the  end  of  one  blade^  in  a  line  with  the 
figures^  is  a  small  punchy  with  which,  if  necessary,  to  pierce 
the  lead,  in  order  to  admit  of  passing  through  it  a  wire 
thread,  by  which  it  may  be  suspended.  To  complete  this 
instrument  M.  Hardiville  has  added,  on  the  side  of  one  of 
the  branches,  a  small  blade,  which,  by  means  of  a  spring 
adapted  to  the  other  branch,  forms  a  pair  of  scissors  with 
which  to  cut  the  leads.  When  the  scissors  are  not  needed, 
the  spring  is  unfastened,  being  made  to  do  so  easily  and 
quickly,  and  the  blade  then  tightens  itself  against  the  branch 
of  the  pincer  without  any  trouble.  At  the  base  is  a  move- 
able spring  which  serves  to  open  the  branches.  Thus  we 
see  that  this  instrument  is  very  complete,  but  its  value  is 
augmented  by  its  not  being  complicated,  and  especially  by 
its  being  of  a  reasonable  price — ten  firancs.*' 

The  Secateur. — Of  garden  cutlery  I  will  only  mention 
the  secateur,  and  this  is  an  instrument  that  every  gardener 
should  possess  himself  of  at  once.  I  know  well  the  pre- 
judice that  exists  in  England  among  horticulturists  against 
things  of  this  kind,  and  their  almost  superstitious  regard 
for  a  good  knife.  I  also  believed  in  the  knife,  but 
when  I  saw  how  useftd  is  the  secateur  to  the  firuit 
growers  of  France,  and  how  easily  and  effectively  they 
cut  with  it  exactly  as  desired,  I  became  at  once  con- 
verted. A  secateur  is  seen  in  the  hands  of  every  French 
fruit  grower,  and  by  its  means  he  cuts  as  clean  as  the  best 
knife-man  with  the  best  knife  ever  whetted.  They  cut 
stakes  with  them  almost  as  fast  as  one  could  count  them ; 
they  have  recently  made  some  large  ones  for  cutting 
stronger  plants — such  as  the  strong  awkward  roots  of  the 
briars  collected  by  the  Rose  growers.  Of  these  secateurs 
there  are  many  forms,  several  of  the  best  being  figured  here. 

First  we  have  the  Secateur  Vauthier  (Fig.  326),  a  strong 
and  handy  instrument.  Its  sloping  semi-cylindrical  handles 
have  their  outer  side  rough,  which  gives  a  firm  hold ;  the 
springs,  though  strong,  resist  the  action  of  the  hand  gently  ; 
the  curvature  of  the  blade  and  the  adjustment  are  perfect ; 


THB   siCATEDE. 


575 


and  lastly,  the  principal  thing,  the  action  is  so  easy  as  never 
to  hurt  the  hand.  "  During  the  many  years  of  my  expe- 
rience," observes  M,  Lachaome,  a  Suit  grower  who  describes 
this  implement  in  the  Revue  Horticole,  "  I  have  used  tools 
of   all   Itiuda,  and 

the  tools  have  also  *"'"■  ^''S- 

used  me  a  tittle; 
but  I  have  never 
met  with  anything 
which  gave  me  so 
much  satisfaction 
as  the  Secateur 
Vauthier.  Every 
desirable  quality  is 
combined  in  it,  and 
I  recommend  it 
with  perfect  confi- 
dence.  The 
strongest  branch 
will  not  resist  its 
cutting,  nor  a  sin- 
gle  branch,  how- 
everwell  concealed, 
be  inaccessible  to 
it.  Moreover,  the 
double  notch  on 
the  back  of  the 
blade  and  hook  (in 
which  a  wire  is 
shown  in  thefigure) 
will  enable  the 
operator  when  employed  at  his  trellises  to  cut  every  wire 
without  using  the  pincers." 

The  S^ateur  Lecointe  (Fig.  327)  is  another  variety 
recommended  by  the  leading  French  horticultural  journal. 
The  inventor  was  led  to  devise  this  kind  of  spring  in  order 
to  avoid  the  annoyance  arising  from  the  frequent  breakage 
of  the  form  usually  employed.  It  is  said  that  this  form  of 
spring  secures  an  easy  and  gentle  action  of  the  instrument, 


Ths  B^catenr  Yanthier. 


^ 


I 


V 


1 


It 


1. 

•     I 

i 


576 


HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 


and  has  the  advantage  of  lasting  longer  than  others,  fi 
not  being  so  liable  to  break,  while  it  secures  a  firmness 
evenness  in  working  which  is  not  otherwise  attained, 
further  improvement  is  pointed  out  in  the  fastening,  wl 
consists  of  a  stop  which  catches  when  the  two  handles 
drawn  together,  a  projecting  portion  on  the  outside  acl 
as  a  spring  which  is  to  be  pressed  when  the  instrumen 
required   to   be  opened.     M.  Lecointe  of  Laigle    is 
inventor. 

Fig.  328  represents  the  s&^ateur  of  older  date  than 
preceding,    and    one    more   generally    used.     It    is    m 


Fio.  327. 


Fio.  328. 


The  Secateur  Lecointe. 


The  Common  Secateur. 


.    I 


employed  at  Montreuil.  There  can  be  no  doubt  t 
where  much  pruning  of  any  kind  is  done,  and  particult 
pruning  of  a  rather  rough  nature,  the  secateur  is  a  valua 
implement.  For  pruning  in  which  great  nicety  of  cutt 
is  required  a  good  and  properly  shaped  knife  is  best.  ^ 
secateur  was  first  invented  by  M.  Bertrand  of  Molleville. 
The  Raioisseur. — This  is  the  name  for  the  little  wi 
straining  implement  which  plays  such  a  very  important  pan 
the  wiring  of  garden  walls,  or  erecting  of  trellises  for  fi 
growing  in  France.  It  is  an  implement  which,  thoi 
insignificant  in  itself,  is  calculated  to  make  a  vast  imprc 


THE   BAIDISSEUB. 


577 


ment  in  our  gardens  and  on  our  walls.  It  will  save  labour, 
time,  expense,  and  make  walls,  and  permanent  trellises  for 
firuit  growing  infinitely  more  agreeable  to  the  eye  and  useful 
to  the  cultivator  than  ever  they  were  before. 

There  are  various  forms  which  I  need  hardly  describe,  as 
they  are  so  well  shown 
in    the    accompanying  ^^°-  ^2^* 

cuts.  The  first  (Fig.  329) 
is  a  reduced  figure  of 
one  about  three  inches 
long,  and  of  which  I 
brought  some  specimens 

from  Paris.  The  engraver  has  placed  it  in  the  best  position 
to  show  its  structure.  The  wire  that  passes  in  through  one 
end  is  slipped  through  a  hole  in  the  axle ;  the  other  end  is 
attached  to  the  tongue,  as  shown  in  the  engraving,  and 
then  by  the  aid  of  a  key,  Fig.  330,  placed  on  the  square 


The  BaidisMur. 


Fia.  330. 


Key  of  Baidisscur. 

end  of  the  axle,  the  whole  is  wound  much  as  a  guitar 
string  is  wound  round  its  peg.  The  first  form  figured  is 
very  much  used  in  the  best  gardens,  and  always  seemed  to 
me  to  do  its  work  effectively. 

The  next  figure  is  that  of  the  Raidisseur  invented  by 
CoUignon  and  re- 
commended by  ^^^'  ^^^' 
Du  Breuil.  It 
does  not  difier 
much  from  the 
preceding.     D 

shows  the    point  •    CoUignon's  Baidisseor. 

of    insertion    of 

the  wire  that  has  to  be  tightened;   B  the   fastening  of 

p  p 


57S 


HOETICULTBEAL   IMPLEMENTS,    ETC. 


I  i 


i  I' 


the  other  end  of  the  wire ;  and  A  the  head  on  which 
ke;  is  placed.     Fig.  332  is  a  ude  view  of  the  same   imj 
ment.     THie  fc 
F10-M2-  going  kinds 

galTanieed,  j 
like  the  w 
That  shown 
Fig.  333  is 
very  simple  o 
sot  galvanizedj  which  was  much  nsed  in  the  fi 
garden  of  the  Paris  Exhibition.  This  last  form  is  sni 
such  as  can  be  readily  and  cheaply  produced  in  i 
manufacturing  town.  The  best  of  these  tighteners  cost 
a  few  pence ;  and  if  it  were  not  so,  it  would  still  be  pre 

Fw.  333. 


Side  "View  of  Cullignon 


Raidiaseur  used  id  the  garden  of  the  Eibibition. 

able  to  employ  them,  in  consequence  of  the  great  sai 
they  effect,  by  enabling  us  to  use  a  very  thin  wire,  whicl 
quite  as  efficient  and  infinitely  neater  than  the  pondei 
ones  now  generally  employed  by  us,  where  the  nail 
shred  have  given  way  to  some  costly  system  of  wiring. 
Since  writing  the  foregoing  I  have  found  a  much 
proved  and  very  simple  raidisseur  in  use  at  Thomery.  ] 
33-1  represents  its  actual  size.  It  is  simply  a  little  piea 
cast-iron  costing  little  more  than  a  garden  nail — so  small  t 
its  presence  on  wall  or  trellis  does  not  look  awkward,  ai 
the  case  of  some  of  the  larger  kinds,  and  very  effect 
I   never   met  with   it  except  in  the  garden  of  M.  R( 


MATERIAL   FOR   TYING   PLANTS.  579 

Charmeux  at  Thomery.  The  walls  there  are  very  neatly 
wired  by  its  help,  and  it  is  equally  useful  for  espaliers.  I 
have  indeed  never  visited  a  garden  in  which  the  walls  and 
trellises  were  so  neatly  done,  and  all  by  means  of  this 
simple  strainer  and  the  galvanized  wire.  Fig.  334  shows 
the  wire  strained  tight,  and  is  a  little  more  than  half  the  size 
I  recommend.  Messrs.  J.  B.  Brown  and  Co.,  of  90,  Cannon- 
street,  have  at  my  request  cast  a  great  number  of  these^ 
and  can  supply  them  in  any  quantity  and  at  a  very  low 
rate.  They  are  made  of  malleable  cast-iron,  and  are  gal- 
vanized. The  edges  of  the  division  in  the  head  of  this 
Uttle  implement  being  sharp,  those  of  the  specimen  I 
brought  from  France  were  filed  to  prevent  them  cutting 
the  wire  in  the  straining ;  but  any  danger  from  this  source 

Fig.  334. 


The  simplest  and  best  form  of  Raidisseur. 

is  quite  obviated  by  allowing  the  wire  to  be  loose  enough 
to  permit  of  one  coil  being  wound  round  the  neck  of  the 
raidisseur  before  the  real  strain  is  applied.  It  is  almost 
needless  to  add  that  the  wire  is  simply  placed  in  the  groove 
in  the  head  of  the  raidisseur,  which  is  then  turned,  and 
finally  tightened  with  a  key  like  that  for  the  other  forms. 

Material  for  Tying  Plants. — The  drop  wears  away  the 
stone  in  a  far  larger  sense  than  is  usually  accepted  with 
this  trite  saying.  Petty  cares  often  help  to  wear  away  the 
soul,  and  petty  details  occupy  much  of  our  life.  Small 
indeed,  then,  must  be  that  which  we  can  call  beneath  our 
notice.  The  tying  of  plants,  of  fruit  trees,  of  anything 
and  everything  in  a  garden,  is  not  often  a  conspicuous 
eflFort ;  but  it  occupies  on  the  whole  a  great  deal  of  time, 
even  in  small  places.     In  larger  ones  operations  of  this 

p  p  2 


I 


I 


F 

I 


i 


». 


II 
I 


t 


580  HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS,   ETC, 


kind  often  occupy  several  men  for  weeks  at  a  time. 

material  usually  employed  with  us  is  bass  mattings  an 

,1     j  most  large  gardens  a  number  of  bass  mats  are  annually 

•   '  I  up  and  used  for  this  purpose.     Of  late  years  they  ] 

'i     f  trebled  in  price.     There  is  the  labour  of  cutting  them 

I  shreds,  and  of  selecting  the  best  strings  for  tying,  but  i 

\  all  the  trouble  a  perfect  and  a  cheap  material   is   not 

result. 

This  expense  may  be  done  away  with,  and  a  much  be 
material  secured,  by  simply  planting  a  few  tufts  of 
common  glaucous  Bush  (Juncus  glaucus)  in  some  n 
spot,  or,  where  much  tying  is  to  be  done,  a  few  dozen  ti 
The  stems  of  this  plant  are  smooth  and  ready  for  us( 
any  moment,  and  are  suited  for  tying  everything  em 
I  the  strong  or  "  mother  branches  '^  of  fruit  trees  (for  wl 

twigs  of  the  yellow  osier  are  best  fitted)  and  the   fi: 
f  ^  and  youngest  shoots  of  hothouse  plants.    The  Rush  ma] 

cut  green  and  used  out  of  hand,  or  it  may  be  cut  soon  s 
'  '^^  flowering  for  winter  use  in  a  dried  state.     When  wai 

.  t  in  winter  it  is  desirable  to  steep  it  in  water  a  couph 

hours  before  it  is  used,  so  as  to  insure  the  requisite  fl 

bility.     It  forms  a  neat  and  lasting  tie,  and  is  not  kno 

like  the  matting,  but  simply  twisted,  then  pinched  oflF  i 

^  the  nail  or  cut  with  the  knife,  and  one  of  the  ends  tur 

back  a  little.     For  tying  the  young  shoots  of  fruit  t 

to  an  espalier  it  is  admirable,  as  it  is  for  most  other  ] 

poses   of  training.     When  men  are  accustomed  to  it,  t 

'  work   with   greater  facility   with  it    than    with    anytl 

<  else.     When  green  it  is  a  matter  of  no  trouble  for  a  ho 

hand  to  pinch  it  instead  of  cutting  it  off;  thus  the  wc 
man  has  not  the  trouble  of  employing  a  knife,  and  has  b 
hands  free. 
[   \  The   dried  grass  of  Lygeum  Spartum  is  also  used 

Prance  to  a  great  extent  for  gardening  purposes.  It  i 
Spanish  grass  which  I  have  grown  pretty  freely  on  c 
soils  in  England,  and  which  will  do  well  on  warm  o 
everywhere  with  us.  It  is  suitable  for  very  strong  t 
durable  tying.  Thus  the  two  best  materials  for  this  purp 
may  be  grown  in  any  garden  without  cost.     If  the  expend 


HATKEIAL   FOE   TnNQ   O&AFTS    AND    BUDS. 


581 


matting  were  as  cheaply  got  as  these,  the  fact  that  the  Rash 
and  Grass  are  ready  rolled  ia  twiue-like  fashion,  should  make 
us  prefer  them.  In  tying  carefully  it  is  necessary  to  twist 
the  matting,  and  thus  a  good  deal  of  time  is  lost. 

In  addition  to  the  above  hardy  plants,  the  "  grass  "  of 
which  may  be  directly  used  for  tying,  the  leaves  of  the  New 
Zealand  Flax,  Phormium  tenax,  are  very  largely  employed  for 
that  purpose  about  Paris.  This  plant  is  grown  everywhere  in 
greenhouses  for  room  decoration.  The  long  leaves  being 
produced  in  great  abundance,  the  old  leaves  that  are  cut 
away     are      preserved, 

thus  securing  a  strong  ^"'*  33^- 

and    excellent   material 
for  tying. 

Material  for  Tying 
Grafts  and  Budb. — 
"Die  dried  stems  of 
Sparganium  ramosum, 
the  Bur  reed,  have  re- 
placed woollen  thread 
for  budding  purposes  in 
France.  In  texture  they 
are  peculiarly  suited  to 
this  purpose,  being  soft, 
dense,  elastic, and  tough, 
so  as  to  enable  the  ope- 
rator to  secure  an  effec- 
tive tie.  The  plant  is 
a   common   waterweed, 

growing  everywhere  in  Britain  along  the  margins  of  ponds, 
streams,  and  ditches,  and  about  three  feet  high.  It  is 
therefore  a  very  cheap  material,  and  may  be  cut  and  stored 
i*  any  quantity  for  budding  and  grafting  purposes. 

I  hare  seen  it  in  extensive  use  in  some  of  the  largest 
and  best  nurseries  in  France,  and  have  no  doubt  that  it 
is  an  economical  and  real  improvement.  The  stems  of 
the  common  Bullrush  (Typha  latifolia)  are  used  for  like 
purposes,  but  not  so  extensively.  By  means  of  these, 
many    French    grafters    have   been   enabled    to    do    away 


Spargaiiiam 


582 


BOETICULTCBAL    IMFLEHSNTS,   ETC. 


vith  all  expense  for  woollen  and  cotton  thread.  The  Spai 
ganinm  is  gathered  in  siunmer  vhen  fiilly  grown ;  the  leavei 
which  are  united  at  the  base,  separated,  and  placed  to  dr 
in  a  shed  or  bam  hung  up  in  bundles.  When  required  fo 
use  they  are  cut  into  the  necessary  length,  from  fourteen  ti 
twenty  inches,  steeped  in  water  for  a  few  hoars,  and  tbei 
slightly  dried  by  pressure  or  wringing.  In  lar^  fieli 
nurseries,  where  there  is  no  water,  bundles  of  the  Bar  ree* 
are  simply  kept  moist  and  flexible  by  being  boried  in  tli 
earth,  and  they  may  also  be  kept  so,by  placing  them  in  •■ 
cellar.  It  most  not  be  used  very  wet,  and  if  too  dry  i 
ia  more  liable  to  crack.     It  is  found  to  bend  best  when  ap 


/§_//// 

Mode  of  Protocting  Walls.  A,  FaiUBBSon  or  D«at  straimal,  two  Teet  wide, 
held  between  tnths,  for  placing  andcr  the  pennanent  copings  while  there 
is  danger  of  frost. 

plied  edgeways  to  the  body  which  it  is  to  envelope,  an 
slightly  twisted.  For  all  kinds  of  budding  and  grafting 
except  large  cleft-grafting  and  the  like,  it  is  as  good  a  ma 
terial  as  can  be  found. 

Protection  for  Wall  and  Espalibb  Trees. — Havioj 
seTcral  times  spoken  of  the  deep  temporary  copings  the  car« 
ful  French  cultivator  uses  for  his  fruit  wall,  I  here  give  ; 
rough  figure  showing  a  section  of  the  tile-coped  wall,  am 
projecting  from  beneath  it  the  supports  for  the  temporar 
protection.  The  French  take  a  good  deal  of  trouble  wit! 
tem])orary  copings,  and  find  them  of  the  greatest  value  ii 
getting    regular  crops ;   for   the   frosts    are    severe    in    thi 


PROTECTION    FOR   WALL    AND   ESPALIER   TREES.       583 

northern  parte  and  all  around  Paris,  and,  in  fact,  over  nearly^ 
all  the  region  north  of  the  river  Loire— the  most  important 
of  France.  The  hest  appliance  of  this  kind  I  have  ever 
seen  consisted  of  narrow  lengths  of  bituminizcd  felt  nailed  on 
cheap  frames  from  sis  feet  to  eight  feet  long,  and  about 
eighteen  inches  wide.  The  use  of  these  on  walls  devoted  to 
the  culture  of  choice  Pears,  Peaches,  &c.,  would  result  in  a 
marked  improvement.  The  temporary  coping  has  a  great 
advantage  in  being  removable,  ao  that  the  trees  may  get  the 
full  benefit  of  the  summer  rains  when  all  danger  is  past, 
and  not  suffer  from  want  of  light  near  the  top  of  the 
wall,  as  they  would  if  such  a 
wide  protection  were  perma- 
nent. I  believe  that  similar 
copings  would  be  much  ' 
more  effective  than  any  of  . 
the  netting  and  canvas  pro- 
tections now  in  use  in  Eng- 
lish gardens. 

Ilie  commonest  temporary' 
coping  seen  in  France  is 
made  of  straw  nailed  between 
laths ;  it  seems  to  answer  its  Wall  with  psnnanent  copiDg  of  tileij 
purpose  very  well,  bnt  ia  temporary  one  of  straw  mats,  ud 
'      '^  -^  canvas  in  Iront. 

not  so  neat  and  satisfactory 

as  that  made  of  bituminizcd  felt.  Whatever  kind  of  protec- 
tion be  employed,  care  is  taken  to  throw  the  wet  well  off 
the  wall  J  the  slightest  experience  of  the  effects  of  frost  on 
vegetation  will  show  the  wisdom  of  this  course.  Of  what 
does  it  avail  to  place  a  net  or  a  few  branchlets  of  trees 
before  a  fruit  wall,  if  we  allow  the  cold  rains  and  sleet  to 
dash  on  to  every  tender  little  brush  of  pollen -bearing  stamens 
on  the  wall  ?  Even  when  the  French  do  employ  canvas  in 
front  of  a  wall  they  usually  use  the  wide  temporary  coping 
too,  thus  keeping  the  wall  dry  and  preventing  radiation. 

■Whatever  imperfect  efforts  we  make  to  protect  our 
wall  trees,  nobody  in  England  ever  thinks  of  protect- 
ing espaliers,  but  the  French  sometimes  do  it  with 
success.       Fig,     338    shows    a    mode    of    arranging    two 


584 


HOKTICULTHEAL   IMPLEHENT8,    ETC. 


rows  of  trees  in  a  manner  diffBrent  to  that  already  shor 
on  the  double  trellis.  The  main  supports  are  strong  posti 
French    gardens    are    usually    surrounded   by    vails,    an 


Double  Eppaiiarwilh  a  row  or  Cordons  on  each  aide,  »Iiowing  Mode  of  PrDlectioi 
the  whole  in  Spring.  A,  WoodeD  support;  B,  B,  Sapports  Tor  protection 
F,  F,  Wide  temporary  copings  of  neat  atraw  mata,  hefd  bj  iron  brackets 
H,  H,  Gatranized  wires  fixed  at  E,  E,  deacending  at  laterTala  and  £xe< 
in  the  inin  poata.  L,  L,  and  to  stonea  in  the  groand ;  G,  One  of  the  lines  run 
ning  across  the  Hapaliers  from  the  walls  of  the  garden. 

in  establishing  a  system  of  trellising  for  growing  the  choice: 
pears,  it  is  considered  wise  to  stretch  an  occasional  wire  fron 
the  trellis  to  the  adjoining  walla,  or  from  one  trellis  U. 


PROTECTION    FOE   WALL   AND   ESPALIER   TKBES.       585 

another.  Thus  if  a  irhole  sqaare  is  devoted  to  galvanized 
trellises  for  Fears — at  say  nine  feet  high,  and  at  from  fifteen 
to  tventy  feet  apart,  the  intermediate  space  being  cropped. 


Wall  protected  with  ytiHe  tcmpornrj  coping  and  ci 
port :  1)   Hanzontnt  Cordon  Apple  on  Paradise  Stock  ;  B  and  C,  eyea  i 
iron  to  permit  nrgalvanizei]  wires  being  pfwaed  throngh.  Thene  wirei  aupport 
tlis  caoviu  whicb  is  slretched  from  C  to  B. 

the  trellises,  in  addition  to  being  individually  well  supported, 
afford  each  other  a  mutual  support  1^  means  of  strong 
wires  running  across  alt  the  lines  of  trellising,  say  at  thirty 


n 


5S6  HOETICDLTOEAL  IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 

feet  apart.  At  the  bottom  ran  rows  of  horizontal  cordoi 
Apples  of  the  most  important  kinds.  The  poeta  are  placec 
closer  together  in  erectin| 
the  trellUes  than  when  th( 
trees  are  abandoned  to  th( 
vicissitudes  of  the  weather 
I  describe  this  more  fo] 
what  it  snggests  than  any- 
thing else.  Some  dmilai 
arrangement  is  badlj 
wanted  with  us,  and  should 
not  be  difficult  to  contrive. 
By  having  a  few  lines  of 
choice  Apples  trained  on 
the  low  cordon  system  at 
each  side,  and  two  good 
rows  of  Pear  trees,  a  great 
deal  of  valuable  fruit  couhl 
be  protected  at  tbe  same 
time  by  making  some  ar- 
rangement whereby  the  whole  could  he  covered  with  cheap 
canvas. 

Shading  foe  Conservatories. — A  mode  of  shading  con- 
servatories and   glasshouses  hy  means  of  laths   and  slender 

rods  of  wood  is  com-  _     „., 

Fio.  341. 
mon  in  1  ranee,  and 
several  inquiries  about 
it  induced  me  to  ob- 
tain specimens  of  the 
various  kinds  used,  and 
have  them  figured. 
The  illustrations  rcp're- 
sent  small  portions  of 
this  shading  of  exactly 
the  full  size.  The  large  Portion  of  Lath  Shade  for  roof  of  ConKirsloir : 
one  of  laths  united  by  '""  '*^- 

wire  is  frequently  used  for  the  outer  side  of  the  roof  of  con- 
servatories, in  which  position  it  is  supposed  to  save  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  as  compared  with   the  common  modes 


ATTACHIHO   WIRE   TO    QAEDEN   WALLS,    ETC. 


587 


of  sbading  by   c&nras   and  like  materials.     It  is  sold  in 
lengths  about  a  yard 
.wide,    but    may    be  *^-3«. 

readily  adapted  to  the  ' 
roof  of  a  conservatory   * 
of  any  shape,  and  fitted 
into      the      smallest 
nooks    on    curvilinear 

roofs.  The  two  smaller    ,.,   ,    .         ,    ,       ,    ,       ,     , ,  ■ 

,  bbadaof  Tory  ■IcniJer  roila  of  wood  anil  twine: 

Sizes   Toven    together  fullNie. 

by  twine  would  seem 

better  adapted  for  the   inner  sides  of  windows  in   corri- 
dors and   conaervato- 
Fk*-  3*3.  rie3_    xhe  three  kinds 

are  made  by  M.  Mus* 
serono.  Rue  du  Fau- 
bourg St.  Denis,  Paris, 
and  the  large  one,  M. 
Lebeauf,6,RueVe8ale, 
Jardin  dcs  Flantes. 

Attachinq  Wikb 
TO  Garde  s  -  walls, 
Trellisino,  &c. — If 
there  be  any  one  practice  of  French  horticulturists  more 
worthy  of  special  recommendatioa  to  the  English  fruit- 
grower than  another,  it  is  their  improved  way  of  placing 
wires  on  walls,  or  in  any  position  in  which  it  may  be 
desired  to  neatly  train  fruit  trees.  So  many  have  been  the 
failures  in  British  gardens  as  regards  the  placing  of  the 
wire  to  which  to  affix  the  trees,  that  the  system  has  been 
given  up  as  useless  and  too  expensive,  and  many  have  said 
that  the  old-foahioned  shred  and  nail  are  yet  the  best. 
But  there  is  a  very  much  better  and  sounder  way,  and  I 
am  completely  converted  as  to  the  value  of  the  French 
mode  of  wiring  here  iUustmted.  In  the  first  instance, 
several  strong  iron  spikes  are  driven  into  the  brickwork 
at  the  ends — in  the  r^ht  angle  formed  by  two  walls — 
nails  with  eyes  in  them  being  driven  in  in  straight  lines, 
exactly    in  tbe   liue    of   direction  in   which    the    wire    is 


588 


HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS,   STC. 


wanted  to  pass.  The  wires  are  placed  at  aboat  te 
inches  apart  on  the  walls,  and  the  little  hooks  for  thei 
support,  also  galvanized,  are  fized  at  about  ten  feet  apai 
along  each  wire.  The  exact  distance  between  the  wires  moa 
however,  be  determined  by  the  kind  of  tree  and  the  form  t 
be  given  to  it.  If  horizontal  training  of  the  branehes  I 
adopted,  the  vires  had  better  be  placed  to  form  the  line 
which  we  wish  the  branches  to  follow ;  if  the  branches  ai 
vertical,  as  in  Fig.  213,  we  need  not  be  so  exact.    Hie  vire- 


Moda  or  orran"ing  wirea  on  ir«lU  for  training  fruit  Ireea  with  vertical  or  hoi 
zoatnl  braccbee.  A,  Position  of  niidiBBeur ;  B,  Nuils  with  ejea,  thiDDgfa  nhit 
the  wire  is  paseed. 

about  as  thick  as  strong  twine — is  passed  through  the  littl 
hooks,  fastened  at  both  ends  of  the  wall  into  the  strong  iro 
nails,  and  then  made  as  straight  as  a  needle  and  as  tight  a 
a  drum,  by  being  strained  with  the  raidissenr.  The  win 
remain  at  about  the  distance  of  half  an  inch  or  three  qnartei 
from  the  wall. 

If  we  consider  the  expense  of  the  shreds  and  nails,  th 
cutting  of  the  former,  the  destroying  of  the  snrface  of  th 
walls  by  the  nails,  and  the  leaving  of  numerous  holes  fo 
vermin  to  take  refuge  in ;  the  great  annual  labour  of  nailin| 
and  the  miserable  work  it  is  for  men  in  our  cold  winters  an 


ATTACHING  WIRE  TO  GAEDEN   WALLS,   ETC,      589 

spriogSj — it  will  be  freely  admitted  that  a  change  is  wanted 
badly.  The  system  of  wiring  a  wall  above  described  is 
simple,  cheap,  almost  everlasting,  and  excellent  in  every 
particular ;  and  it  must  before  many  years  elapse  be  nearly 
universally  adopted  in  our  fruit  gardens.  A  man  may  do 
as  much  work  in  one  day  along  a  wall  wired  thus  as  he 
conld  in  six  with  the  old  nail  and  shred.  As  to  galvanized 
wire  having  an  injurious  eSect  on  the  fruit  trees  trained  on 
it,  it  is  simply  nonsense ;  I  will  not  therefore  waste  space  and 
the  intelligent  reader's  time  by  discussing  it.  Given  a 
concrete  wall,  as  described  elsewhere  in  this  book,  smoothly 


Wull  with  QalT«nizod  Wires  for  training  Trees. 

plastered,  and  wired  thus,  what  fruit  trees  could  be  in  a 
more  excellent  position  than  those  upon  it?  The  tempo- 
rary coping  taken  off  after  all  danger  from  frost  was  past, 
every  leaf  would  be  under  the  refreshing  influence  of  the 
summer  rains,  all  the  advantages  of  walls  as  regards  heat 
would  be  obtained,  the  syringing  engine  would  not  be 
counteracted  by  countless  dens  offering  dry  beds  and  com- 
fortable breeding'places  to  the  enemies  of  the  gardener  and 
the  fruit  tree,  while  the  appearance  of  the  wall  woidd  be  all 
that  could  be  desired. 

The  wire  and  the  raidissear  are  also  efficiently  used  so  as 
to   do  away  with  any  necessity  for  nailing  in  training  the 


590 


HORTICVLTDEAI.  IMPLEMENTS,   ETC. 


li 


\ 


•     i» 


:    1  ' 


il 


Peach  and  other  trees^  when  trained  as  cordons^  as  shon 
in  the  accompanying  figure.   -When  the  lines  which  H 


to 

CO 


> 


wires  are  to  follow  are  fixed  upon,  bolts  and  eyes  are  drive 
in,  the  wire  is  fixed  to  and  passed  through  them^  and  the 
made  firm,  as  shown  in  the  illustrations. 


I 


GALVANIZED   WIRE    USED    IN    THE   FRUIT    GAEI>EN.     591 


The  French  apply  the  term  "  espalier"  to  their  wall  trees, 
and  in  adopting  the  word  &om  them  we  have  transferred  it 
to  trees  standing  in  the  open,  hat  trained  in  a  similar 
manner.  They  term  our  espalier  "  contre-eapalier,"  but 
the  terms  wall  tree  and  espalier  are  distinctly  and  gene- 
rally understood  among  us,  and  therefore  it  is  better  to 
employ  them  in  their  usual  sense.  The  simplicity  and 
excellence  of  their  mode  of  making  supports  for  espaliers 
will  be  better  shown  by  the  figures  in  the  account  of 
Versailles  than  by  verbal  description.  The  mode  of  making 
treUises  for  espalier  trees  now  being  extensively  adopted 
in  Prance  is  far 

supCTior  to  our  ^">-  3*v. 

own  mode,  and 
owes  its  excel- 
lence to  the 
abundant  use  of 
slender  galva- 
nized wire  and 
"  the  little  tight- 
ening  imple- 
ments, or  rai- 
disseurs. 

The  wire, 
which  is  so  uni- 
versally useful 
for  Aefruit  gar- 
den, is  sold  in  twenty-three  different  sizes.  Of  this  an  in- 
termediate size,  12,  V<i,  or  14,  is  that  best  suited  and  usually 
selected  for  strong  and  permanent  garden  work,  albeit  a 
mere  thread  to  the  costly  bolt-like  irons  we  use.  The  sort 
suited  for  walls  is  sold  at  about  3/.  6s.  for  100  kilogrammes, 
equal  to  a  little  more  than  220  lbs.  English.  £ach  kilo- 
gramme (a  trifie  more  than  2  lbs.  3  oz.)  of  this  affords  more 
than  131  English  feet  of  wire.  The  price  given  is  that  for 
the  second  quality  of  wire ;  the  first  quality  of  the  same 
pattern  costs  about  Gs.  6rf,  more  for  the  320  lbs.  Thus,  of 
this  wire  of  the  very  best  quality,  and  such  as,  if  placed 
properly  in  its   position,  is   as   permanent  as  it  is  useful, 


WaU  Wired  for  Cordon  Training. 


592 


nOETlCOLTORAL   IMPLEMENTS,   ETC. 


200  lbs.  avoirdupois  may  be  obtained  for  less  than  4/.,  i 
220  lbs.  will  extend  a  distance  of  13,123  English  feet.  1 
size  will  also  suit  well  for  espaliers.  No.  12  being  strong  enoi 
for  the  coarsest  trees  on  waUs  or  trellises,  and  13  and  14  qi 
loi^e  enough  for  general  work.  A  size,  or  even  several  ai 
smaller,  will  sufBce  for  dwarf  trellises  with  three  rows  of  n 
or  so,  to  accommodate  very  dwarf  trees  of  any  shape  the  cu 
vator  may  desire.  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  been 
formed  by  Messrs.  J.  B.  Brown  and  Co.,  of  90,  Cannon-atr 
that  they  snpply  the  chief  Parisian  houses  who  furnish  Frej 
fruit-growers  with  this  useful  galvanized  wire.  The  si 
appropriate  for  cordons,  trellises,  &c.,  are  sold  at  from  i 


Trellis  for  joung  Troei  in  Nurse 


to  44s.  per  mile,  so  that  the  material  b  cheap  enough, 
is  sold  by  weight,  No.  13  size  being  31*.  per  cwt.  of  li 
yards,  and  a  smaller  size  34s.  per  cwt.  of  2031  yaj 
Those  who  merely  want  a  little  wire  for  experimenting  w 
cordons  can  buy  it  by  length,  the  smaller  size  at  2«.  S 
the  larger  at  3s.  6d.  per  100  yards. 

In  some  of  the  best  fruit  nurseries  I  noticed  a  simple  i 
effective  kind  of  trellising  used  for  training  young  wall  a 
espalier  trees.  It  is  useful  in  enabling  the  French  to  ki 
in  stock  trees  for  these  purposes  to  a  greater  age  than 
the  case  in  our  own  nurseries,  and  for  various  purpo 
should  prove  useful  to  the  grower  of  young  fruit  trees. 


EDGINGS  FOB  PARKS,  PUBLIC  GABDENS,  DBIVES,  ETC.  593 

larger  and  modified  application  of  the  same  plan  would  do 
well  for  large  espalier  trees ;  indeed,  I  have  seen  it  applied 
with  good  efiect,  and  it  perfectly  suits  a  method  which  is 
not  uncommon  in  France,  of  keeping  the  upper  branches  of 
trees,  trained  horizontally,  shorter  than  the  lower  ones  (Fig. 
364),  so  as  to  secure  perfect  vigour  in  the  lower  branches. 
This  trellis  may  be  established  at  a  trifling  cost  by  using  light 
posts  of  rough  wood,  or,  if  permanent,  and  greater  strength 
be  desired,  of  T-iron.  In  either  case  the  posts  must  be 
firmly  fixed.  The  wire  should  be  passed  through  a  hole  or 
strong  eye  in  the  top  of  the  pole,  and  fixed  with  stones 
or  irons  in  the  ground.  In  order  to  train  the  shoots 
straight,  their  rods  may  be  extended  from  the  post  to  the 
wires  with  but  little  trouble.  Other  illustrations  of  the 
neatest  and  best  trellises  in  use  in  French  gardens  occur  in 
several  parts  of  this  volume.  Those  in  the  Imperial  gardens 
at  Versailles  cannot  be  surpassed  for  appearance  and 
durability. 

Edgings  fob  Fabks,  Fublic  Gardens,  Squares,  Drives^ 
&c. — The  edgings  in  gardens  have  a  very  important  bearing 
on  their  general  aspect,  and  often  on  their  cleanliness.  Hosts 
of  people  with  gardens  are  continually  looking  out  for  a  good 
edging,  and  many  are  taken  in  by  the  aspect  of  those  made 
of  tiles,  material,  &c.  Any  variety  of  brick,  imitation  stone^ 
or  terra-cotta  edging,  is  the  ugliest  and  most  unsatisfactory 
thing  that  can  be  admitted  into  an  ornamental  garden. 
Massive  edgings  of  stone  around  panels,  in  geometrical 
gardens,  are  of  course  not  included  in  those  alluded  to. 
Fottery  edgings  are  enough  to  spoil  the  prettiest  garden 
ever  made,  and  are  as  much  at  home  round  a  country  seat 
as  a  red  Indian  at  a  mild  evening  party. 

Looking  at  them  as  they  are  carefully  arranged  by  ex- 
hibitors in  one  or  two  of  our  public  gardens,  you  may 
possibly  think  they  are  clean,  symmetrical,  and  everything 
to  be  desired.  But  when  brought  home  and  arranged 
round  the  borders  their  true  charms  begin  to  display  them- 
selves. Being  all  of  an  exact  pattern,  they  must  be  arranged 
so  as  to  look  quite  straight  in  the  line.  If  they  wabble 
about,  one  this  way  and  one  that,  the  line  is  not  agreeable, 

Q  Q 


594 


HOKTICULTVBAL  lUPLEMEHTS.   BTC. 


eren  grantiog  that  the  things  themKlves  &re  tolenUe. 
u  difficolt  to  "  set"  them  easily  and  cheapl^j  ao  that  th 
-will  remain  erect.  To  have  them  set  by  a  mason  is  a  pL 
resorted  to  hy  some ;  bat  it  is  simply  a  way  of  wsstn 
money.  Of  courae,  a  good  workman  may  arrange  the 
neatly  enough  by  ramming  down  the  soil  firmly  on  ea 
ade ;  bat  even  then,  they  are,  after  all,  the  worat  varie^ 
edging  known.  'Hiey  are  also  often  of  a  texture  th 
cracks  into  small  pieces  with  the  fint  £rost,  thongh  the 
are  some  mnch  more  tenacioas.  llie  expense  in  the  fii 
instance  is  heavy,  and  one  way  or  another  they  become  n 
satisfactory,  till  there  is  no  tolerating  them  any  longer,  ai 


Bhowing  the  effect  of  Baltic  Iron  Edgiags  in  the  pablic  gurdeiu. 


they   are   thrown   by  with   the   old   iron   or  the    oyst 
shells. 

The  reason  why  people  have  resorted  to  them  is,  that  tl 
edgings  ordinarily  used  often  prove  disappointing  and  dirt 
and  they  long  for  something  that  will  be  neat  and  tidy 
all  times.  To  abuse  a  bad  thing  without  offering  a  bett« 
or  any  at  all,  is  often  no  better  than  to  stand  still  and  tolera 
a  nuisance ;  but  in  this  instance  I  am  able  to  recommend 
capital  permanent  edging — everlasting,  in  fact,  and  wi' 
nothing  that  could  offend  the  moat  critical  taste.  It 
simply  made  of  rustic  rods  of  cast  iron,  in  imitation  of  tl 
little  edgings  of  bent  branchlets  that  everybody  must  ha 


KDGINOS  FOR  PARKS,  PUBLIC  GARDENS,  DRIVES,  ETC.  595 

seen.  They  are  evidently  cast  &om  the  model  of  a  bent 
branchlet,  generally  about  as  thick  as  the  thumb,  but  they 
are  of  various  sizes.  The  marks  where  the  twigs  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  cut  oS  are  visible,  and  altogether  the 
thing  looks  as  rustic  as  as  could  be  desired,  is  firm  as  a  rock 
when  placed  in  position,  and,  in  a  word,  perfect.  These 
irons  are  of  course  stuck  in  the  ground  firmly,  and  as  shown 


Fio.  350. 


The  large  Iron  Edgings  (nineteen  inches  in  span)  used  in  the  public  parka. 

in  the  figures.  They  may  be  set  up  by  anybody.  The  fiwst 
that  they  are  not  stiff  and  ugly  tile-like  bodies  prevents 
their  ofiending  the  eye  if  one  or  two  should  fall  a  little  out 
of  the  line  here  and  there.  But  this  is  nearly  impossible ; 
for  at  the  place  where  every  two  sticks  cross  each  other  they 
are  tied  by  a  scrap  of  common  wire. 

They  should  be  so  plunged  in  the  walk,  or  by  the  side  of 

Fig.  351. 


Cast  Iron  Edgings  (twelve  inches  span)  used  in  the  public  gardens. 

the  walk,  that  about  six  inches  of  the  little  fence  appears 
above  ground.  This,  however,  may  be  varied  with  the  size 
of  the  subjects  which  they  are  used  to  encompass;  six  or 
seven  inches  is  the  height  given  for  edges  for  ordinary  pur* 
poses.  They  are  equally  useful  for  the  park,  pleasure- 
ground,  or  even  the  kitchen-garden.  In  parks  and  pleasure- 
grounds,  however,  we  usually  have  edgings  of  grass,  and 

qqS 


n 

1' 

I 


> 


Ft 


1 


*     • 


I 


t 

llli: 


I 


t 


»l 


596 


HORTICULTURAL   IMPLEMENTS,  ETC. 


therefore  it  may  occur  to  the  reader  that  they  are  nsele 
therein ;  but  the  little  fences  of  bent  wood  which  fumishi 
the  idea  for  these  iron  edgings  were  generally  used  to  pr 
vent  grass  near  drives  and  walks  firom  being  troddc 
upon ;  and  of  course  those  now  recommended  will  answi 
the  purpose  better.  However,  it  is  in  much-firequentc 
places  along  drives,  and  in  public  gardens  and  parks,  thi 
their  chief  merit  will  be  found.  They  may  be  seen  i 
every  public  garden  in  Pans,  from  the  gardens  round  ti 
Louvre,  where  you  may  notice  them  obscurely  running  alon 
outside  of  the  Ivy  edgings,  to  the  slopes  of  the  Buttes  Chat 
mont  and  the  more  frequented  parts  of  the  Bois  de  Boi 
logne;  and  they  must  ere  long  be  as  widely  adopted  i 
England,  for  it  is  impossible  to  find  a  better  or  more  pn 
sentable  edging.  In  all  squares  or  lawns  where  croquet  : 
played  they  will,  if  set  rather  deeply,  be  found  peculiar] 
useful  in  preventing  the  balls  from  running  over  the  bee 
and  breaking  the  plants.  In  some  London  squares  I  ha^ 
recently  noticed  the  beds  raised  bodily  to  a  height  of  fiftee 
inches  above  the  level,  as  a  protection  against  croquet  ball 
All  this  trouble  might  be  saved  in  a  few  minutes  by  placin 
these  rustic  iron  edgings  around  the  beds. 

The  Cloche. — ^This  is  simply  a  large  and  cheap  bell 
glass,  which  is  used  in  every  French  garden  that  I  hav 
seen.  It  is  the  cloche  which  enables  the  French  marke 
gardeners  to   excel   all  others  in  the  production  of  winte 

and  spring  salads.  Acres  of  thei 
may  be  seen  round  Paris,  am 
private  places  have  them  h 
proportion  to  their  extent — froB 
the  small  garden  of  the  amateu 
with  a  few  dozen  or  score,  t 
the  large  one  where  they  requir 
several  himdreds  or  thousands  o 
them.  They  are  about  sixteei 
inches  high,  and  the  same  in  dia 
meter  at  the  base,  and  cost  h 
piece,  or  a  penny  or  two  less  i 


Fio.  352. 


The  Cloche  as  used  in  Winter- 
Lettuce  culture. 


France  about  a  franc  a 
bought  in  quantity. 


it   I 


THE  CLOCHE.  597 

Ibe  advantages  of  the  cloches  are — ^tliey  never  require  any 
repain;  they  are  easy  of  carria^  when  carefully  packed; 
with  ordinary  care  they  are  seldom  broken ;  they  are  easily 
cleaned — a  swill  in  a  water  tank  and  a  wipe  with  a  brush 
every  autumn  clear  and  prepare  them  for  their  winter  work. 
Tliey  are  nsefid  for  many  purposes  besides  salad  growing ;  for 
example,  is  advandng  various  crops 
in    spring,  raising  seedlings,    and  F'"-  35S. 

striking  cuttings ;  and  finally,  they 
are  very  cheap  when  bought  in 
quantity.  But  of  course  it  is  only 
in  market  gardens  that  they  will  be 
required  in  numbers ;  in  some  small 
gardens  not  more  than  a  few  dozen 
will  be  wanted.  Every  garden  should 
be  furnished  with  them  according  to 
its  sise ;  and  when  we  get  used  to 
them  and   learn  how    very   useful 

they  are  for  many  things,  from  the  full  developing  of 
a  Christmas  Kose  to  the  forwarding  of  early  crops  in 
spring,  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  be  much  in  demand.  It 
is  not  only  in  winter  that  they  are  useful,  but  at  all  seasons, 
both  in  indoor  and  outdoor  propagation  and  seed  sowing. 
In  France  seedlings  of  garden  crops  likely  to  be  destroyed 
by  birds  or  insects  are  frequently  raised  under  the  cloche, 
and  the  same  practice  will  occasionally  be  found  advan- 
tageous in  this  country. 
*^<*-  35*.  Usually  the  cloche  is  made  with- 

out a  knob,  as  that  appendage  renders 
their  package  a  much  greater  diflGculty 
and  increases  the  cost,  so  that  practical 
men  use  only  the  one  without  the  knob, 
like  the  specimens  first  figured.     One 
Cloche  with  knob.         inth  a  knob  may,  however,  be  had, 
but  it  is  not  to  be  recommended. 
Allusion  has  been  made  at  p.  146  to  the  use  of  small 
bell-glasses  with  openings  at  the  top.     It  would  be  a  great 
improvement  if  some  cloches  were  made  in  like  manner, 
and  this  particularly  for  propagation  in  tan-beds  and  hot 


698 


HORTICULTURAL    UFLEUBNTS,   ETC. 


pita.  The  openiiig  tronltl  afford  very  slight  though  "bent 
fidal  ventilatioD,  and  give  a  means  of  canyiDg  or  shiftiii] 
the  cloche  with  one  hand  only.  I  am  informed  that  ther 
vill  be  no  difficnltj  in  making  them  thus  irithoat  additioni 
trouble  or  expense,  as  soon  as  the  firm  irho  will  oudertak 
tlieir  manofactare  in  England  have  full  preparations  made 
When  not  in  nse  the  careful  cultivator  puts  his  clochea  ii 
some  bye  place,  in  little  piles  of  half  a  dozen  in  each,  i 
pece  of  Tood  not  more  than  half  an  inch  thick  and  an  ind 
and  a  half  square  being  placed  between  each,  so  as  to  preren 
them  from  settling  down  on  each  other.  Workmen  use* 
to  them  carry  two  or  three   in   each  hand  in  conTeyinj 


I!' 


The  Cloche  u  nied  in  the  PropsgatiDg-hoitae. 

them  fipom  place  to  place,  by  putting  a  finger  between  each 
In  commencing  to  use  them  in  onr  gardens  it  would  be  wel 
to  see  that  they  arc  placed  in  some  spot  where  they  will 
not  be  in  danger  of  breakage.  The  eloche  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  dark  and  very  large  beU  glass  that  was 
in  common  use  many  years  ago  in  our  market  gardens,  and 
which  may  yet  be  seen  here  and  there.  These  were  even 
dearer  than  the  hand-glasses  by  which  they  were  driven  out 
of  use.  The  French  cloche  does  not  cost  one-fourth  so 
much  as  a  hand-light — and  moreover  does  not,  require  both 
painter,  glazier,  and  plumber  for  keeping  it  in  repair.  It 
will  prove  a  distinct  improvement  in  every  class  of  garden. 
How  to  procure  these  cloches  has  hitherto  been  the  great 


THE   CLOCHE.  509 

difficulty.  Many  liave  been  deterred  from  employing  them 
by  the  trouble^  expense,  and  loss  consequent  on  ordering 
them  from  France,  and  I  have  always  despaired  of  their 
becoming  useful  to  cultivators  generally  till  they  were  pro- 
duced in  England  at  a  cheap  rate.  Even  if  the  carriage 
was  not  as  heavy  as  it  is,  the  risk  of  conveying  such  very 
fragile  articles  across  the  Channel  is  such  as  would  prevent 
us  from  getting  them  in  a  satisfactory  way. 

I  am  pleased  to  announce  that  Messrs.  E.  Breffit  and  Co., 
proprietors  of  the  Aire  and  Calder  Glass  Bottle  Company's 
Works  in  Yorkshire,  well  known  for  its  productions,  are 
making  preparations  for  their  manufacture  on  an  extensive 
scale.  They  will  be  able  to  supply  them  soon,  and  will  have 
an  abundant  stock  by  the  time  it  is  necessary  to  employ 
them  over  next  winter's  crops  of  Salads  and  other  vegetables 
requiring  their  protection.  They  propose  to  sell  them  at 
from  lOd.  to  Is.  each,  according  to  the  quantities  required, 
and  a  small  addition  for  package  and  carriage  will  put  them 
down  in  every  part  of  the  kingdom.  Messrs.  Breffit  and  Co. 
have  offices  at  83,  Upper  Thames-street,  E.C. ;  stores  at 
Eree  Trade  Wharf,  Broad-street,  Eatcliff,  E.,  120,  Duke- 
street,  Liverpool — ^the  seat  of  manufacture  being  at  Castle- 
ford,  near  Normanton,  Yorkshire.  At  any  of  the  addresses 
orders  will  be  taken  and  executed  as  soon  as  possible.  It 
is  fortunate  that  the  manufacture  of  the  cloche  has  been 
taken  up*  by  a  firm  with  every  means  of  carrying  it  on  in 
the  best  manner,  and  with  stores  in  the  north  and  in 
Liverpool,  as  well  as  in  London.  They  will  be  supplied  to 
the  nursery  and  seed  as  well  as  to  the  glass  trades  at  whole- 
sale prices. 

Li  consequence  of  the  fact  that  many  of  the  articles 
mentioned  in  this  chapter  have  not  till  recently  been  obtain- 
able in  this  country,  it  may  save  trouble  in  inquiries  to 
state  that  Messrs.  J.  B.  Brown  &  Co.,  of  90,  Cannon-street, 
E.C,  have  imdertaken  to  keep  a  stock  of  them,  including 
raidisseurs,  chairs,  shaded  seats,  iron  implements,  edgings  in 
rustic  iron,  galvanized  wire,  and  everything  necessary  for 
the  making  of  improved  fruit  trellises,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NOTES   OF  A    HOETICULTDKAL  TOITK   THKOCSB    PARTS    OP 
PKAMCK   IN    1868. 

DcBiNO  the  put  snnuner  I  vuited  Tarions  parts  of  Fruii 
with  the  view,  as  nsaal,  to  observe  interesting  exam^es 
fruit  culture  and  horticulture  generally.  These  not 
although  dealing  with  several  localities  far  removed  fn 
Paris,  Till  ;et  be  considered  quite  admissible  here,  &< 
their  relation  to  the  fruit  question  in  which  we  are 
Bo  much  interested. 

Lyoks, — Great  improrements  in  the  way  of  creating  p 
menadea,  parks,  squares,  and  gardens  are  visible  in  this  fi 
city  as  well  as  at  Paris,  and  the  noble  public  garden  sitoat 
outside  the  city,  near  the  banks  of  the  Rhone,  is  one  of  t 
finest  I  have  ever  seen.  A  detailed  description  of  it  wot 
require  too  much  space,  hut  a  few  notes  of  the  chief  poii 
observed  during  a  hurried  visit  may  he  of  interest.  £nt« 
ing  it  on  a  bright  midsummer  morning  at  seven  o'clock,  t 
first  thing  that  struck  my  eye  was  the  feathery  spray  frc 
the  quantity  of  self-acting  hose  employed  in  keeping  t 
turf  green — no  easy  task  in  these  parts.  It  is  the  sai 
plan  aa  that  used  in  Paris  which  is  elsewhere  describe 
and  it  has  the  same  agreeable  result — fresh  green  gn 
at  all  times.  The  place  is  difierent  to  any  we  have 
England,  partaking  of  the  characters  of  park,  botai 
garden,  and  zoological  garden,  all  so  combined  that  a  bi{ 
degree  of  beauty  everjnvhere  prevails.  Here  you  get 
glimpse  of  a  railed  field,  with  cattle  grazing  as  in  a  we 
kept  pasture  at  home — a  few  minutes  more,  and  an  immeu 
garden  comes  in  view,  presently  to  be  succeeded  by  a  gro 
of  conservatories,  a  &uit  garden,  a  vineyard,  a  collection 


M 


LTONS.  601 

herbaceous  and  alpine  plants^  and  so  on^  while  frequently 
magnificent  masses  of  colour  meet  the  view. 

The  purely  scientific  portion  is  not  allowed  to  disfigure 
the  garden^  while  it  is  as  useful  as  in  public  gardens  where 
it  is  allowed  to  destroy  every  trace  of  repose  or  naturalness. 
It  is  arranged  in  circular  beds^  handy  for  reference  and  also 
for  keeping  the  plants  distinct.  The  fruit  garden  is  not 
largCj  and  aims  more  at  showing  the  various  forms  of  fruit- 
trees  than  obtaining  crops  of  fruit.  Of  course  it  is  impos- 
sible to  get  a  good  result  as  regards  produce^  and  grow  in  a 
small  space  many  varieties  in  all  sorts  of  forms.  The  vase 
form  was  very  perfect  here ;  it  seems  more  ornamental  than 
useful.  A  novel  way  of  growing  Peaches  was  in  operation. 
It  was  a  trellis  backed  with  the  neat  straw  mats  so  common 
in  French  gardens.  At  the  top  a  slight  provision  was  made 
on  which  to  place  a  narrow  straw  mat^  so  as  to  protect 
the  trees  in  spring.  Lathyrus  ensifolius^  a  fine  hardy 
perennial  kind^  was  observed  here  in  flower.  There  is  a 
good  deal  of  glass  in  the  gardens^  the  larger  conservatories 
having  Palms  and  fine-leaved  subjects  planted  out  and 
arranged  with  admirable  efiect.  Some  of  the  smaller  houses 
are  on  a  plan  analogous  to  the  very  useful  ones  at  La 
Muette — a  house  placed  at  right  angles  to  the  others  offers 
fr^e  communication  to  all^  and  the  workmen  when  removing 
tender  plants  from  one  house  to  the  other  have  not  to 
expose  them  to  the  open  air.  The  houses  are  mostly 
shaded  with  a  very  strong  and  thick  but  small-meshed  net- 
tings made  out  of  the  fibre  of  Lygeum  Spartimi.  It  seems 
a  decided  improvement  on  the  lath  shadings  so  often  used 
on  the  Continent. 

There  seemed  great  activity  and  good  management  in  the 
hot-house  department^  and  a  capital  feature  was  displayed 
near  it — a  large  trial  ground.  This  disposed  in  parallel  beds^ 
contained  numbers  of  most  things  in  the  way  of  ornamental 
plants  for  summer  gardens,  from  Pelargoniums  to  Cle- 
matises. There  is  a  memorial  column  in  the  garden, 
and  between  the  wide  steps  of  this  column  and  its  actual 
base,  a  rather  narrow  cavity  is  left,  from  which  springs  a 
healthy  ring  of  Laurel.     It  is  a  novelty,  and  in  good  taste. 


602 


NOTES  OP  A  HOETICVLTUBJU:.  TOUB, 


In  many  of  tbe  well-idanted  and  shady  promenades 
Lyons  vhite  stone  seats  are  adopted  instead  of  wooAea  oni 
and  Teiy  well  they  look — simple  stone  slabs,  with  >to 
snpports  of  conrse. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  Fans  Exfaibiticm  of  1867, 
noble  Peach  tree  was  shown  by  M.  Morel,  trained  as 
Palmette  Venier,  and  ao  well  trained  as  to  excite  the  ado 
ration  of  all  who  saw  it.  M.  Mod  lives  at  Yaiae, 
suburb  of  Lyons,  and  to  visit  him  was  one  of  the  ch 
objects  of  my  jonmey  to  this  ci^.  He  is  not  a  grower  I 
the  market,  or  a  person  who  devotes  himself  exclnaiTcly 
the  culture  of  the  Peach,  but  a  general  nnraeryman.  1 
wall  on  which  hia  Peaches  are  grown  is  on  an  aven 
thirteen  feet  high,  and  it  is  made  of  very  cheap  toaterial 
tbe  common  cuth  of  the  garden.  First  of  all  a  foondati 
is  made,  and  the  wall  raised  a  little  above  the  sar&ce  of  1 
ground  with  stone,  so  as  to  guard  the  chief  material  fix 
injury  by  frost  and  wet.  Then  the  earth  is  laid  in  and  w 
battered  down  between  boards,  and  on  every  layer  c^  eai 
there  is  deposited  about  an  inch  and  a  half  of  mortar.  T 
layers  in  one  wall  were  about  one  foot  deep ;  in  another 
the  better  wall  of  the  two — they  were  about  two  feet  dee 
and  between  each  layer  the  thin  seam  of  mortar  coold 
distinctly  seen.  The  walls  are  about  eighteen  inches  thii 
and  capped  with  a  coping  of  tiles,  under  which'are  inseii 
iron  supports  for  protection  in  spring.  Wires  are  run  alo 
these,  so  that  the  mats  may  be  conveniently  supported. 

It  is  worthy  of  parttciUar  notice  that  while  the  Peach  d( 
very  well  about  here  as  a  standard  tree,  good  cultivators  S 
distinct  advantages  not  alone  in  growing  it  against  a  wi 
but  also  in  well  protecting  it  when  in  flower.  M.  Mo 
considered  that  it  is  of  decided  advantage  in  three  ways 
firstly,  in  securing  a  crop  by  preserving  the  flowers  fire 
destruction  by  frost ;  secondly,  by  saving  the  trees  from  t 
malady  caused  by  frosts  and  sleety  rains  falling  on  t 
young  leaves  and  budding  shoots ;  and  thirdly,  by  the  te 
dency  which  a  vide  temporary  coping  has  in  making  t 
tree  push  more  vigoroosly  in  its  lower  than  in  its  npi 
parts.      A  wide   mat  at   the   top  of  the  wall  in  spri 


';l)J 


LTONB.  603 

obscTtreB  the  light  to  a  coDsiderable  extent  from  the  points 
of  the  branches  at  the  top,  and  this  prevents  the  sap  from 
mnning  to  the  top  as  it  geDeraU^  does.  However,  a 
good  trainer  can  always  take  care  of  that,  and  I  merely 
mention  these  things  to  show  that,  even  in  a  climate 
much  better  than  that  of  Paris,  protection  to  the  vail  is 
conBidered  a  necessity.  The  trees  away  &om  vails  are  often 
attacked  by  gum  and  the  "  maladies  caused  by  the  cold  of 
spring,"  to  use  M.  Morel's  words.  Does  not  this  suggest 
the  trite  cause  of  the  miserable  aspect  of  many  Peach  trees 
where  careful  protection  in  spring  is  not  resorted  to  ?  In 
numerous  large  British  gardens,  with  plenty  of  means 
and  time  for  less  important  objects  than  fruit  culture, 
the  walls  are  often  left  exposed  or  with  the  most  meagre 
protection — a  net,  with  a  dear  space  at  top,  so  that  there  is 
nothing  whatever  to  prevent  radiation  or  the  cold  slee^ 
rains  of  spring  from  descending  straight  on  the  young  leaves 
and  flowers ;  while  in  many  continental  gardens,  with  but 
a  solitary  man  to  attend  to  them,  careful  protection  is  regu- 
larly given. 

Parallel  with  the  Peach  wall  mns  a  trellis  for  training 
espalier  trees,  and  this  is  also  protected  in  spring,  and  in  a 
very  simple  way.  A  cross  bar  is  supported  by  the  upright 
of  the  trellis,  and  lines  of  wire  are  run  through  it.  Two 
double  line^  of  wire  are  employed,  so  that  the  neat  straw 
mats  nsed  for  protection  may  be  inserted  between  them,  and 
be  thus  kept  quite  firm.  The  portions  of  the  walls  here 
occupied  by  the  old  and  established  trees  were  perfectly 
coT^red  with  the  healthiest  and  the  finest  subjects  I  have 
erer  seen ;  even  the  bases  of  the  stems  and  the  branches  had 
shoots  trained  over  them,  bo  that  thdr  surface  was  not 
awkwardly  visible,  aa  is  too  often  the  ease.  The  forms  most 
employed  are  the  Palmette  Verrier  and  the  Candelabrum, 
which  is  dimply  made  by  traiuiug  branches  vraticallyfrom  a 
horizontal  shoot  running  near  the  ground.  The  pruning  is 
done  in  winter,  when  time  and  weather  permit,  and  not  in 
spring,  as  is  generally  the  case.  There  can  be  little  gained 
by  waiting  till  streams  of  sap  are  asconding  throngh  the 
tvanohcs,  and  a  very  little  discernment  suffices  to  diatingoish 


r.  f 


V 


}'9 


604      NOTES  OF  A  HORTICULTUBAL  TOUB. 


j  the  yarious  kinds  of  buds  in  winter  as  well  as  in  spring, 

r  walls  of  earth  cost  about  a  franc  fifty  centimes  a  metre 

I    ^  stone^  five  francs.    The  earth  walls^  when  well  made^  last : 

'  *    ^  couple  of  centuries.    I  saw  a  house  near  at  hand  constm 

I  in  the  same  way^  which  had  been  erected  one  hundred  yi 

An  important  point  in  M.  Morel's  culture^  is  that  he  doet 
stop  the  leading  shoots^  except  when  one  happens  U 
weak.  The  main  branches  are  left  at  a  distance  of  a 
twenty-two  inches  apart.  As  to  the  state  of  fruit  gro^ 
about  here^  it  is  still  in  want  of  much  improvement, 
not  easy^  as  M.  Morel  remarked^  to  get  a  new  idea  intc 
heads  of  the  humbler  classes  of  people ;  but  a  considei 
advance  has  been  made  during  the  past  generation.  Tl 
years  ago,  said  M.  Merely  a  small  Pear^  of  mode 
quality^  was  sold  for  three  sous — ^now  it  is  worth  about 
This  good  result  has  been  brought  about  by  the  popula: 
tion  of  really  good  varieties. 

I  was  much  disappointed  in  the  departmental  scho< 
firuit  culture  here.  The  aspect  on  entering  was  most  dol 
and  the  walls  in  some  places  wretchedly  covered.  1 
however^  was  explained  by  the  fact  that  ver  blanc  had  ne 
destroyed  the  garden.  This  is  a  pest  which  we  are  sp 
in  England^  and  of  its  destructive  nature  English  cultivs 
fi  can  have  no  idea.     Some  Peaches  against  the  walls  lo( 

very  well,  but  many  had  perished  from  the  ravages  of 

dreaded  grub,  as  had  numbers  of  Pears,  Apples,  and 

sorts  of  fruit  trees.     I  learnt  nothing  in  this  garden, 

i    *  from  its  upper  part  the  beautifully  diversified  nature  of 

'  environs  of  Lyons  may  be  seen,  everywhere  dotted  by  i 

I  built  vUlas,  and  in  the  distance  a  ruined  arch — one   of 

'    f  _  many  traces  of  the  great  aqueduct  constructed  by  the  Bon 

i   .  to  convey  water  to  the  city  from  the  distant  mounti 

^      ^  Hereabouts  are  also  traces  of  the  great  Roman  roads  w! 

radiated  from  hence  to  the  Pyrenees,  the  Rhine,  the  Atlai 
and  Marseilles.  What  a  mighty  grasp  these  old  Bod 
had  of  the  world  I  The  efibrts  of  modem  conquerors  a 
puny  compared  to  those  of  the  civilizers  of  the  o^ 
I  time. 

{  L'EcoLE  Regionale  db  la  Saulsaie. — ^There  are  n 


1 


l'ecole  regionale  de  la  saxjlsaie.        605 

small  departmental  schools  established  "with  a  view  to  spread 
a  knowledge  of  rural  pursuits  in  France — ^this  is  one  of  a 
few  establishments  with  a  more  extended  aim.  It  is  si- 
tuated in  the  department  of  Ain^  a  couple  of  hours' journey 
hj  rail  and  carriage  from  Lyons^  and  is  principally  an  ex- 
tensive school  of  agriculture.  M.  Verrier^  after  whom  the 
form  of  tree  known  as  the  Palmette  Verrier  was  named  by 
Professor  Du  Breuil^  was  chief  of  the  firuit-growing  depart- 
ment ;  but  at  the  time  of  my  visit  he  had  been  dead  for 
more  than  a  year.  The  first  sight  of  this^  and  indeed  most 
similar  places  in  France^  is  not  assuring ;  there  is  a  want  of 
the  finish  which  we  Britons  are  in  the  habit  of  putting  on 
country  seats^  farms^  and  gardens^  and^  if  I  may  so  speak^  a 
hungry  look  about  the  place.  However^  a  garden  is  to  me 
interesting  and  worthy  of  notice  according  to  what  it  teaches 
or  suggests^  and^  as  great  men  have  not  been  above  accepting 
lessons  &om  very  humble  ones^  we  must  not  conclude  that 
because  a  place^  from  want  of  funds  or  other  causes,  is  not 
so  perfect  as  we  had  been  led  to  expect^  that  it  is  therefore 
unworthy  of  inspection. 

The  first  thing  observable  in  the  fruit  garden  was  an 
almost  total  failure  of  the  Pear  crop — cold  rains  at  the  time 
of  flowering  had  accomplished  it.  What  a  ''paradisiacal 
climate  1^'  The  situation  here  is  somewhat  elevated,  and 
thoroughly  exposed,  in  consequence  of  being  flat  and  not 
surrounded  by  sheltering  woods  or  forests,  and,  although 
much  frirther  south  than  Paris,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  many  parts  of  England  are  far  more  favourable  to  the 
production  of  fruit.  Apples  were  a  better  crop,  but  they 
too,  strange  to  say,  were  a  failure — in  consequence  of  the 
very  strong  sun.  In  any  case,  they  had  fallen  off  to  a  great 
extent.  The  original  specimens  of  the  Palmette  Yerrier  are 
to  be  seen  here,  and  very  fine  some  of  them  are.  A  marked 
difference  existed  between  the  Easter  Beurre  Pear  against 
walls  and  the  same  variety  grown  away  from  their  shelter  and 
protection.  Away  from  the  wall  and  without  protection  the 
trees  were  a  total  failure,  or  in  cases  where  they  bore  fruit 
it  was  diseased  and  useless.  Against  walls^.where  the  trees 
had  been  efficiently  protected  in  springy  the  trees  and  fruit 


I 


I 


V 


I 


U 

606      NOTES  OF  A  HORTICULTURAL  TOUR. 

were  in  perfect  condition.     This  speaks  for  itself^  and  t 
UB,  with  many  other  things  I  have  seen  in  France^  that  i 
!    I   ^'  to  well-managed  walls  we  must  look  for  the  main  impro 

' '   ^  ments  in  the  culture  of  our  finer  fruits.     Here  the  Frei 

actually  find  that  walls  are  not  only  a  benefit  but  a  necesa 

*  for  some  hardy  fruits^  yet  we  have  been  going  on  for  ye 

t  planting  Fears  in  quantities  away  from  waUs^  and  pay 

I  little  proportionate  attention  to  the  kinds  that  ought  to 

-?  planted  against  them. 

'\  .  \  As  the  place  is  very  much  exposed  to  storms,  pecul 

expedients  have  been  resorted  to,  so  as  to  secure  the  tr 
against  their  influence.  The  practice  of  training  trees  w 
the  branches  crossed  and  intertwined  by  way  of  mut 
support,  was  to  be  seen  here  in  a  large  way,  both  in  i 
case  of  Apples  and  Pears.  Cheap  laths  and  sticks  are  fi 
used  to  train  the  trees  into  shape,  and  after  they  h 
attained  their  full  size,  crossing  and  supporting  each  otli 
the  other  supports  are  removed  or  allowed  to  rot.  Th( 
i  Y  were  many  Apple  trees  trained  on  this  principle,  and  so  n 

I  \^  and  firmly  that  there  could  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  it 

perfectly  practicable  and  good,  and  that  the  objections  wh 

have  been  urged  against  it  were  entirely  groundless. 

was  said  by  some  that  the  branches  would  destroy  each  otl 

by  friction;  there  was  ample  evidence  here  that  this  i 

not  the  case,  even  with  the  strong  winds  that  are  nea 

always  blowing.     When  I  mentioned  the  objection  to  1 

chief  he  was  much  amused,  and  simply  pointed  to  a  £ 

line  of  Apple  trees,  eight  feet  high,  mutually  supporti 

each  other  without  the  slightest  injury.     It  is  thus  cl< 

^.  that  we  may  not  only  much  improve  the  appearance 

'    )  our    espaliers    by    adopting    the    system   which    I    hi 

(  figured  and  described  elsewhere,  but  make  the  trees  » 

supporting.  Better  formedf  or  more  presentable  espalii 
than  these  could  not  be  seen,  and,  as  they  were  well  int 
laced  one  with  the  other,  the  strong  wind  blowing  on  c 
of  the  first  days  of  July  did  not  affect  them  in  1 
least. 
j  In  the  case  of  very  large  pyramids  planted  here,  anotl 

I  expedient  to  protect  them  from  the  wind  was  adopted. 

! 

1 


(    :        » 


•     % 

»      ■, 


l'ecole  begionale  de  la  saulsaie.        607 

ia  not  nufirequently  the  case  in  French  fruit  gardens^  the 
branches  of  the  pyramids  are  brought  regularly  in  straight 
lines  from  the  bole  of  the  tree — that  is^  the  branches  form 
four^  fiye^  or  six  wings^  as  the  case  may  be ;  five  is  perhaps 
the  most  usual  number.  In  the  case  I  am  describing  there 
are  four  wings  to  each  pyramid ;  but  the  branches^  instead 
of  being  stopped^  as  is  usually  the  case^  are  trained  in 
straight  lines  from  one  pyramid  to  the  other,  so  that  they 
cross  each  other,  forming  a  wall  of  trellis  work,  an  opening 
being  left  at  the  bottom  under  which  one  may  pass.  In 
one  spot  there  were  regular  little  squares  formed  thus 
between  every  four  trees — ^in  fact,  a  green  wall  of  from 
twelve  to  fourteen  feet  high  enclosed  the  visitor.  I  never 
met  with  this  elsewhere,  and  it  was  very  well  done. 

An  expedient  to  give  additional  support  and  strength  to 
the  espaliers  was,  when  employing  the  double  trellis,  to 
let  the  two  sides  meet  at  top  and  lean  against  each  other — 
thus,  /^ — ^instead  of  placing  them  vertically,  as  is  the  custom. 
A  line  of  trees  trained  in  the  vase  form  were  united  one 
with  the  other  by  a  strong  arched  branch,  the  branch 
springing  from  the  top  of  the  vase ;  and  this  simply  because 
the  place  is  open  to  fierce  winds,  which  would  render 
such  exposed  trees  insecure  without  some  support.  I 
question  if  any  garden  could  afford  a  better  test  of  the 
effect  of  wind  on  trained  trees.  Some  that  were  standing 
singly  looked  like  very  neat  summer-houses.  They  were 
pyramids,  with  the  branches  brought  out  from  the  main 
stem  in  six  lines,  the  branches  in  each  line  being  of  course 
placed  exactly  one  above  the  other.  Trees  are  trained 
thus  so  that  the  air  and  light  may  frdly  benefit  all  parts  of 
them.  The  character  of  a  pretty  bower  was  imparted  to 
the  space  between  every  two  wings  of  the  tree  by  simply 
carrying  an  arched  branch  from  tring  to  wing  overhead. 

lliere  is  here  a  very  well-furmshed  Peach  wall,  made  of 
common  earth  firmly  pressed  between  boards  in  the  making, 
and  with  a  foundation  of  rough  stones  to  prevent  the  hu- 
midity sapping  the  base.  This  kind  of  wall  is  good  enough 
for  its  object,  wiU  last  for  ages  if  well  made,  and  may  be 
coated  and  coped  so  as  to  look  as  ornamental  as  any  other. 


60S  NOTES   OF   A   HOKTICOLTDRAL   TOUR.   . 

It  ia  even  cheaper  than  the  eyBtem  of  concrete  i 
building  elsewhere  alluded  to.  Abont  Lyons  I  saw  u 
of  wall  built  in  this  way,  and  numerous  hooaes  as  ^ 
and  I  am  certain  that  it  can  be  employed  with  adran 
in  growing  fruit  for  the  market,  and  for  private  use. 
earth  must  be  well  battered  down  between  boards, 
it  should  not  be  either  too  sand;  or  clayey, 
coping  here  ia  of  tiles,  not  slo{nng  down  on  both  i 
of  the  wall,  but  running  clean  from  front  to  back, 
higher  side  being  reserved  fbr  the  most  important  c 
Seneath  this  coping  wooden  BUpporto,  for  accommoda 
a  neat  straw  mat  in  spring,  project  about  twenty  in 
from  the  wall.  This  may  seem  to  the  English  coltiv 
an  awkward  and  antidy  mode  of  protection,  but  t 
mats  are  very  neatly  and  cheaply  made  in  France  (as 
been  ab^ady  mentioned),  and  th^  are  of  great  osi 
many  ways,  from  placing  on  the  north  side  (tf  a  lin 
espalier  trees  to  covering  frames,  and  making  a  tempo 
coping  for  walls.  For  frames  alone  their  introdnc 
would  be  a  benefit  to  na,  as  they  afford  a  much  be 
neater,  and  cheaper  protection  than  bass  mats ;  anc 
these  have  latterly  become  so  dear,  they  should  prove 
more  acceptable.  Espaliers  are  here  occasionally  prote 
with  the  neat  straw  mats  by  simply  projecting  from 
main  support  two  little  atays  of  iron  or  wood,  w 
carry  a  rude  and  cheap  apau  of  framework,  on  w 
the  mats  are  bo  placed  in  spring  that  the  wind  cai 
blow  them  ofi*.  In  looking  at  a  fine  specimen  of  Be 
d'Amanlis  here,  twenty-eight  feet  long  and  eight  feet  li 
with  three  crowns  wrought  above  the  general  level  of 
espalier,  and  loaded  with  fruit,  M.  Morel,  the  Peach  gro 
laughingly  observed  that  that  kind  of  tree  waa  not  at  i 
good  one  for  the  nurseryman;  the  upright  and  obi 
cordons  planted  against  walls,  and  closer  than  pe(^le  f 
Cabbages,  were  far  better. 

A  young  plantation  of  Aaparagua  here  looked  aomei 
like  one  of  Celery.  Trenches  and  plants  were  so  diatai 
that  each  stool  was  a  yard  apart  from  its  fellows  in  e' 
way,  and  each  plant  waa  aa  carefully  staked  aa  if  it  wei 


DIJON.  609 

Dahlia  in  the  garden  of  a  careful  amateur  of  that  flower. 
There  is  a  rather  well-kept  sort  of  botanical  garden  here^ 
for  the  purpose  of  showing  native^  useful,  culinary  and 
other  herbs,  and  when  passing  through  this  the  superinten- 
dent said,  pointing  at  a  solitary  plant  of  Rhubarb,  ^'  You 
eat  that  in  England  V'  What,  a  difference  a  few  miles  or 
mere  accident  sometimes  makes !  Here  is  a  vegetable 
second  to  no  other,  and  which  a  race  so  distinguished  in 
the  kitchen  should  best  know  how  to  appreciate,  and  yet 
it  is  almost  unknown  to  them ;  and  what  a  loss  that  is,  we 
only  can  understand.  There  is  a  School  of  Dendrology 
here,  with  the  trees  planted  in  their  natural  orders,  and, 
generally  speaking,  good  facilities  for  teaching  young  men 
with  a  taste  for  rural  pursuits. 

Dijon. — ^The  home  nursery  of  Leconte  was  the  only  one 
I  visited,  and  a  very  neat  and  well-kept  one  it  is.  It  is  an 
oblong  piece  of  ground,  about  four  acres  in  extent,  and 
well  walled  in  on  every  side,  the  walls  being  well  coped 
with  overlapping  tiles.  All  the  space  on  both  sides  of.  the 
walls  was  planted  with  oblique  cordon  Pear  trees,  trained 
on  single  galvanized  wires,  attached  to  two  strong  nails  in 
the  walls.  They  were  young  trees,  but  the  walls  were  very 
nearly  covered;  the  crop  was  nothing  to  speak  of.  The 
trees,  however,  are  too  young  to  judge  much  by  at  present. 
A  wall  about  fifteen  feet  high  was  nearly  covered  with  oblique 
cordon  Fears,  and  as  they  had  so  much  room  to  rise,  the 
position  seemed  particularly  suited  to  them.  Near  at  hand 
they  were  grown  to  the  same  height  by  projecting  a  trellis 
above  the  garden  wall,  so  as  to  form  a  very  high  screen  of 
cordon  Pears  above  it.  This  was  done  by  erecting  strong 
uprights  of  iron  to  the  required  height  above  the  wall,  and 
then  running  galvanized  wires  from  the  bottom  of  the  wall 
to  a  strong  horizontal  wire  or  rod  passing  from  upright  to 
upright  at  the  top.  Looking  along  the  long  side  or  middle 
walks,  cordon  Apples  could  be  seen  stretching  without  in- 
terruption from  one  end  of  the  garden  to  the  other,  the 
effect  being  very  pretty  indeed.  They  were  planted  a  few 
inches  inside  the  box  edging,  and  between  it  and  lines  of 
handsome  pyramidal  Pears,  conifers,  &c.,  and,  as  usual,  chiefly 

R  & 


610 


NOTEB   OP  A  HORTICCLTDRAL  TODR. 


to  fill  up  Dcatly  and  peTmanently  a  space  that  otherw: 
could  not  be  usefully  occupied.  They  are  about  thi 
years  old,  supported  oa  the  usual  alender  galvanized  wii 
and  in  many  parts  bore  a  very  fair  crop,  though  in  othe 
tliey  were  nearly  mined  by  thrip.  The  little  Lady  Apf 
was  particularly  fine ;  but  generally  the  apples  were  lil 
the  pyramidal  pears  and  apples,  a  failure  as  r^ards  cro 
However,  of  the  two  the  cordons  bore  the  best  crop,  Tl 
Fear,  as  a  horizontal  cordon,  was  not  so  good  as  the  Appl 
in  fact,  a  failure,  as  is  usually  the  case. 

Angers. — This  famous  old  town  is  known  almost  ever 
where  for  its  vast  nursery  gardens ;  there  are,  it  is  sai 
one  himdred  nurserymen,  small  and  great,  in  its  neighbon 
hood.  It  is  a  fine  climate,  this  of  Anjou — bo  genial  as 
develope  the  Tea  plant  in  perfect  health  out  of  doors,  ai 
with  sun  enough  to  spice  the  air  with  the  fragrance  of  th 
splendid  evergreen.  Magnolia  grandiflora,  which  may  ' 
seen  used  as  a  promenade  tree  in  the  Place  immediate 
outside  the  main  entrance  to  the  nurseries  of  M.  A.  Lero 
There  are  many  noble  specimens  and  lines  of  this  plant 
the  nurseries,  which  are  of  vast  extent — too  much  bo,  indec 
to  permit  of  one  visiting  them,  unless  with  plenty  of  tit 
to  spare.  The  Camellia  does  perfectly  well  in  the  open  a 
and  is  grown  to  an  enormous  extent,  nearly  two  acres 
ground  being  devoted  to  the  production  of  young  plani 
25,000  being  grafted  every  year.  At  the  time  of  my  rit 
(July  18),  nearly  all  the  beds  were  shaded  from  strong  si 
by  a  thin  spray  of  branches  fastened  between  hurdle 
Many  other  things  are  propagated  in  great  quantity — Pea 
for  example.  Of  one  single  variety,  Easter  Beurre,  tl 
enormous  number  of  40,000  plants  are  annually  "  worked 
to  use  a  propagating  phrase.  Of  Duehessc  d'Angoul^n 
25,000  are  yearly  required ;  of  Williams's  Bon  Chretie 
25,000;  that  excellent  Pear,  Louise  Bonne  d'Avranches, 
also  required  to  the  extent  of  25,000  annually ;  and  Doyeni 
d'AIen^on  to  20,000  plants — so  that  the  number  of  oi 
kind  of  Pear  used  is  alone  sufficient  to  form  a  nursery 
itself.  Obseri'e  the  enormous  number  of  Easter  Beur 
(Doyenne  d'Hivcr)  required.     This  is  the  Pear  which   i 


ANGKRS.  611 

import  in  such  vast  quantities  from  Prance  in  winter.  In 
the  region  around  Paris  this  kind  must  be  grown  against 
sunny  walls.  I  need  not  add  that  it  is  folly  to  attempt  its 
culture  in  any  other  fashion  in  England. 

For  three  weeks  before  the  date  of  my  visit  fifty  work- 
men had  been  employed  in  budding  here.  The  fruit  trees 
are  budded  as  we  bud  Boses^  and  those  in  which  the 
buds  fail  are  grafted  in  spring.  In  this  way  a  year  is 
gained.  There  is  a  splendid  collection  of  pyramid  trees 
grafted  on  the  Quince  stocky  many  of  them  of  great  size 
and  perfect  symmetry,  the  ground  being  rich  and  deep,  and 
suiting  the  Quince  to  perfection.  Every  kind  of  fruit  sold 
or  recognised  as  a  variety  of  any  merit  is  grown  here; 
Pears  to  the  amazing  number  of  one  thousand  and  twenty- 
eight  varieties ;  Vines,  five  hundred  and  fifty  distinct  varie- 
ties; Apples,  eight  hundred  ditto;  Peaches,  two  hundred 
and  fifty,  including  forty-five  of  the  best  American  kinds ; 
and  so  on.  The  Apple  is  planted  to  a  considerable  extent 
as  a  horizontal  cordon,  and  many  varieties  bear  abundance 
of  fruit,  some  of  the  finer  Russian  kinds  being  gathered 
before  the  date  of  my  visit,  18th  of  July,  1868.  The 
following  varieties  were  bearing  abundantly  as  cordons: 
Joanneting,Astrakan,  Winter  Pearmain,  Archduchess  Sophia, 
Court  Pendu  Plat,  President  Dufoy,  several  kinds  of  Reinette, 
several  kinds  of  Calville,  Transparent,  and  many  others.  It 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  enumerate  kinds,  as  nearly  every 
first-rate  variety  does  well  when  trained  in  this  way  and 
grafted  on  the  true  French  Paradise  stock. 

Of  the  450  acres  of  nursery  ground  in  M.  A.  Lcroy's 
establishment  much  is  devoted  to  the  culture  of  Conifers 
and  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs,  the  peculiar  feature  of 
the  culture  being  that  the  Conifers  when  young  are  grown 
in  pots,  for  the  sake  of  securing  safe  transport.  The  pots 
are  all  plunged  in  the  earth,  and  when  the  plants  become 
large  they  are  placed  in  rough  baskets  and  plunged  in  the 
same  manner.  This  is  a  better  preparation  than  that  of  the 
pot,  secures  safe  carriage,  and  does  not  cause  contortion  of 
the  roots  as  pots  do.     These  baskets  are  made  in  quantity  by 

B  r2 


612 


NOTES    OP   A    HOBTICULTUBAL   TODB. 


the  firm ;  were  it  not  so,  the  expense  would  prove  too  gre 
to  admit  of  this  mode  of  culture. 

There  is  a  specimen  of  Cedros  atlantica,  about  thir 
feet  high,  a  graceful  open  tree,  qnite  silrery,  and  dotted  t 
over  with  little  nipple-like  male  cooea — one  soUtaiy  ai 
lai^  female  cone  standing  alone  amongst  them.  It 
found  to  grow  very  much  faster  than  the  Cedar  of  Lebanc 
in  these  grounds,  and  is  so  beautiful  as  to  recommend  its( 
to  every  lover  of  Conifers.  Some  plants  grown  indoors  : 
England  do  very  well  here  out  of  doors — Poinciana  Gillie 
and  Lagerstrosmia  tudica  being  particularly  beautiful  i 
July.  Bambnsa  mitis  grows  very  freely,  and  has  bei 
proved  the  best  of  the  hardy  Bamboos.  The  culture  < 
fimit  trees  against  walls  is  far  &om  satisfactory.  It  won] 
^>pear  that  the  fine  climate  afibrds  an  excuse  for  careles 
nesa  in  this  respect ;  but  I  made  slight  efforts  to  at 
the  fruit  culture  of  the  district,  as  the  climate  is  so  unlil 
our  own  that  observations  made  in  it  are  not  at  all  t 
applicable  to  our  own  culture  as  those  gathered  in  the  coldt 
parts  of  France. 

The  public  garden  here  ia  a  purely  scientific  institutioi 
directed  by  M.  Boreau,  a  botanist  well  known  for  h 
knowledge  of  European  plants.  He  is  particularly  foe 
of  the  wild  French  Hoses,  and  described  one  of  his  ow 
finding  (R.  conspicua)  as  the  most  beautiful  and  show 
of  all  the  wild  Roses.  Another  interesting  native  plai 
was  an  unusually  large  and  vigorous  Solomon's  Seal,  name 
Polygonum  intermedium — a  subject  that  would  repay  cult 
vation.  St.  Dabeoc's  Heath,  found  in  Connemara,  in  In 
land,  occurs  in  a  wood  about  fifteen  miles  from  this  city. 

The  nurseries  of  M.  Louis  Leroy,  in  the  Route  de  Pari: 
are  also  very  extensive,  though  most  of  his  ground  is  at 
considerable  distance  from  the  town.  The  standard  Ma| 
nolias  in  this  nursery  are  excellent,  and  a  singular  graccfu 
Conifer  (Taxodium  sineiuis)  claims  attention  from  its  uovelt} 
A  specimen  of  Welliugtonia  here,  only  eleven  years  c 
age,  is  superb — twenty-five  feet  high,  and  a  noble  tree  i 
every  respect.  There  is  a  small  public  fmit  garden  in  th 
town,  quite  recently  planted,  and  promising  to  be   usefi 


NANTES.  613 

in  the  future.     Here,  again,  the  horizontal  cordons  were  in 
good  bearing,  though  scarcely  more  than  a  year  old. 

I  was  much  indebted  to  M.  Anatole  Leroy,  of  the  nur- 
series in  the  Route  de  Paris,  for  his  valuable  assistance  in 
enabling  me  conveniently  to  see  the  horticulture  of  this 
neighbourhood,  on  the  interest  of  which  I  have  barely 
touched. 

Nantes. — The  Jardin  des  PJantes  here  is  quite  a  change 
from  what  we  are  accustomed  to  see  in  French  towns,  and 
is  well  worthy  of  a  visit  and  of  imitation.  It  is  a  beautiful 
garden,  in  the  highest  sense,  while  it  is  instructive  at  the 
same  time,  and  quite  a  credit  to  the  town  for  the  way  in 
w^hich  it  is  kept.  It  is  distinguished  from  the  old  style  of 
French  public  garden  by  the  almost  total  absence  of  straight 
lines,  being  varied  in  all  its  parts,  and  well  and  tastefully 
planted  on  that  style  for  which  the  best  name  is  the 
"  natural.'^  It  is  embellished  by  one  of  the  finest  groves 
of  standard  Magnolias  (grandiflora)  in  Europe,  if  not  the 
finest,  and  their  noble  flowers  perfume  the  whole  place. 
The  planting  is  very  tastefiiUy  done  on  the  grouping  system, 
while  along  some  of  the  walks  alternate  beds  of  Camellias 
and  Azaleas  are  placed,  each  bed  being  edged  with  Hepa- 
ticas.  The  grass  was  as  green  and  as  freely  dotted  with 
daisies  as  could  be  desired — the  London  parks  at  the  same 
date  being  as  brown  and  parched  as  the  desert.  This 
results  from  the  excellent  system  of  watering  everywhere 
adopted  in  French  gardens.  Fine-leaved  plants,  Cannas, 
Ricinus,  and  the  like,  are  abundantly  used,  and  eflTect  a 
noble  improvement,  as  they  everywhere  do. 

A  particularly  noticeable  feature  in  the  garden  at  Nantes 
is  the  way  the  rockwork  is  managed.  It  is  not  suitable  for 
true  rock  plants,  nor  capable  of  being  embellished  by  them, 
but  its  artistic  effect  is  good,  because  natural,  and  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  it.  The  principle  adopted  is  that  of  letting 
the  rock  suggest  itself,  rather  than  piling  it  up  in  wall-like 
masses ;  solitary  rocks  peep  out  of  the  grass  here  and  there 
by  the  margin  of  the  water,  and  presently  a  group  appears, 
the  whole  being  intertwined  by  creeping  and  trailing  shrubs 
in  a  way  agreeable  to  the  eye  of  taste.     The  water  is  not 


I 


614  NOTES   OF  A  HOBTICCLTUBAL  TOUB. 

so  well  managed,  being  rather  formal  and  serpentine^  nc 
folloniQg  the  true  line  of  the  brook  or  rivulet ;  but  thi 
fault  is  not  so  perceptible  here  as  in  other  French  gardeni 
The  quality  that  we  know  of  as  breadth — that  which  we  mis 
BO  much  at  Kew  and  many  other  fine  gardens,  and  see  s 
well  exemplified  in  others  of  mnch  smaller  dimensions — i 
finely  shown  in  this  garden,  the  eye  resting  on  wide  gree 
sweeps  of  grass,  margined  by  varied  and  receding  outline 
aCTordcd  by  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers.  Cercis  australi 
forms  a  very  ornamental  tree  in  these  grounds,  the  Ion, 
shoots  drooping  gracefully.  There  is  a  small  fruit  gai 
den  and  a  small  but  useful  botanic  garden,  both  wisel 
and  cflectivcly  cut  off  from  the  general  scene,  and  no 
thrust  under  the  eye  of  the  public,  to  weary  it  with  th 
sight  of  a  scientific  arrangement  of  plants,  which  is  as  un 
natural  and  ugly  to  the  human  eye  as  anything  can  well  Ix 
Where  you  plant  like  subjects  together^  it  is  almost  impossibl 
to  have  any  of  the  freshness  or  variety  of  a  true  garden. 

Rouen. — This  district  is  so  near  home,  and  its  climat 
80  very  much  like  our  own,  that  even  those  possessed  of  th 
erroneous  idea  that  the  climate  of  northern  France  is  a  para 
disiacal  one  will  admit  the  utility  of  studying  the  cultiu^ 
I  first  visited  the  nursery  of  Mr.  J.  Wood,  an  Englis 
nurseryman,  established  here  forty  years.  Speaking  c 
fruit-growing  in  France  and  England,  these  were  hi 
words :  "  For  every  single  fruit  tree  sold  in  England  thei 
arc  one  thousand  sold  in  France !  Every  cottager  wit 
ten  square  yards  of  ground  buys  and  plants  firuit  trees,  ] 
it  were  not  so  you  would  not  get  so  much  Freneh  fruit  i 
England."  Generally,  he  said,  the  culture  of  wall  fruit  wa 
carelessly  performed  in  that  region,  with  the  exception  t 
the  Pear.  Fine  old  specimens  of  Pears  against  the  wall 
of  chateaux  afforded  quantities  of  good  fruit.  Some  of  th 
walls  here  were  covered  witli  Pear  cordons  trained  dia 
gonally.  In  reply  to  a  query  as  to  the  merits  of  thi 
particular  phase  of  the  cordon  system,  Mr.  Wood  remarkec 
"  It  has  been  a  good  thing  for  the  nurserymen,"  Precisely 
As  a  tree  must  be  planted  at  every  eighteen  inches  or  so,  i 
is  a  very  expensive  proceeding ;  but  a  "  good  thing  for  nur 


ROUEN.  615 

serymen/^  of  course.  Alpine  Strawberries  are  grown  here 
in  considerable  quantity,  and  preferred  to  the  common  kiiid. 
By  covering  the  ground  with  a  little  short  manure  to  pre- 
vent evaporation,  and  giving  abundance  of  water  in  dry 
weather,  they  get  them  to  fruit  from  early  summer  to  late 
autumn,  gathering  plenty  of  fruit  all  through  this  prolonged 
season.  When  gathered  fresh  from  the  plants,  and  used 
with  the  usual  accompaniments,  the  best  varieties  of  the 
Quatre  Saisons  are  certainly  excellent.  They  are  insuflS- 
ciently  known  in  England,  where  they  ought  to  be  very 
extensively  grown,  as  the  climate  is  even  more  suitable  to 
them  than  that  of  France,  and  they  would  form  a  very 
agreeable  addition  to  the  dessert  at  all  times,  especially 
when  the  other  strawberries  are  past.  ^ 

In  the  market  here  specimens  of  the  Reinette  Grise,  an 
excellent  apple,  were  selling  in  June  at  three  and  four  sous 
each ;  they  were  perfectly  firm,  and  the  flavour  of  the  best. 
Considering  how  valuable  is  an  apple  that  keeps  in  the  con- 
dition described  to  the  month  of  June,  we  need  scarcely  say 
that  this  deserves  to  be  widely  known  in  England.  It 
is  well  suited  for  culture  on  the  cordon  system.  A 
peculiarity  in  the  mode  of  growing  young  Camellias  and 
Azaleas  deserves  notice.  The  spring  after  being  grafted 
they  are  planted  out  in  pits  or  frames  in  light  peaty  earth, 
and  the  result  is  that  they  form  presentable  specimens  in 
half  the  time  that  is  usually  required  when  they  arc  grown 
in  pots.  But  they  are  all  destined  for  pots,  and  this  course 
is  pursued  simply  to  get  them  ready  in  quick  time.  They 
grow  80  fast  that  after  six  months  they  must  be  taken  up 
and  replanted  at  greater  distances  apart.  This  phase  of  the 
culture  chiefly  concerns  the  propagator  and  nurseryman ; 
but  when  large  plants  become  shabby  from  ha^dng  been  in 
dwelling  rooms  or  any  other  cause,  they  are  cut  down  and 
planted  out  in  the  pits  in  the  same  way,  the  result  being 
that  they  soon  return  to  a  perfectly  healthy  and  vigorous 
state,  and  may,  after  a  year  or  so,  be  again  placed  in  pots 
or  tubs.  This  hint  should  be  useful  to  amateurs  whose 
specimens  are  so  frequently  in  that  state  when  it  becomes 
doubtfril  whether  they  should  be  thrown  away  or  kept. 


616  NOTES   OF  A   HORTICULTURAL  TOUR. 


■  I 


.'  ft 


As  at  Paris,  great  numbers  of  Dracaenas  and  fine  foliage 
I .  plants  generally  are  grown  here.     These  also  are  at  fiis 

5|  planted  out  in  frames  and  pits,  in  very  light  rich  soil^  am 

( i|  thus  grown  into  healthy  little  specimens  before  being  pottec 

g  and  used  for  fnmishing.    Weak  and  puny  little  plants  pnt  on 

\,  in  spring  become  nice  stocky  specimens  in  autumn^  and  an 

,  then  taken  np,  potted,  and  placed  on  a  gentle  hotbed^  when 

they  soon  root  vigorously  into  the  pots.     It  needs  very  little 
J    '  *  discernment  to  see  the  reason  why  things  do  so  well  planted 

out  thus.  They  are  not  liable  to  the  vicissitudes  whicl 
things  suffer  in  pots ;  they  grow  firom  a  moist  surface 
which,  as  every  plant-grower  knows,  is  so  congenial  to  the 
health  of  plants;  and,  to  put  it  simply,  they  are  undei 
^uch  more  natural  conditions  than  plants  confined  ii 
pots. 

Epiphyllum  truncatum  is  grown  here  in  quantity  and 
variety,  there  being  a  dozen  kinds.  As  many  know^  this 
is  a  first-rate  plant  for  winter  decoration.  On  its  own 
roots  it  pushes  but  little ;  grafted  on  the  Periskea  it  makes 
the  free-flowering  and  vigorous  plants  which  we  sometimes 
T  see  in  England,  and  which  are  becoming  every  day  more 

popular.  Here,  however,  they  employ,  in  preference  to  the 
spiny  and  slender  woody  stem  of  the  Periskea,  a  species  o1 
Cereus,  with  a  thick  roundish  stem,  which  forms  a  worthj 
pillar  for  the  rich  head  of  shoots  this  beautiful  winter- 
flowering  Cactus  makes  upon  it.  This  stock  should  be  used 
generally  in  England  for  this  purpose.  The  Epiphyllums 
were  tried  upon  Opuntias,  but  without  success,  the  only  kind 
that  would  grow  upon  them  being  E.  Ruckerianum. 

Of  the  public  gardening  at  Rouen,  that  which  pleased  mc 
best  was  a  very  small  bit  which  formed  a  setting,  so  tc 
speak,  to  the  statue  to  Pierre  Comeille.  It  is  placed  haL 
way  over  the  bridge,  where  that  structure  rests  on  the  island 
in  the  Seine.  A  space  on  a  level  with  the  bridge,  like  s 
huge  recess,  is  adorned  with  the  statue.  Around  the  stonjf 
base  on  which  it  rests  runs  a  border  of  glistening  Irish  Ivy. 
elevated  on  a  little  plateau  above  the  small  lawn.  The 
^rass  is  bordered  by  a  line  of  dwarf  bushy  Roses,  springing 
from   a  band  of  the  same  '^ould  Irish''  Ivy;  behind  all 


617 


there  is  a  belt  of  shrubs,  and  around  all  a  gravel  Tralk,  the 
little  apace  being  kept  private.  There  were  four  large  vases 
ia  itj  each  containing  a  fine  Bpecimen  of  the  New  Zealand 
Flax,  but  it  is  possible  they  bad  been  placed  here  specially 
for  the  Emperor's  visit.  In  any  case,  this  mere  spot,  half- 
way over  a  bridge,  looked 
one  of  the  sweetest  bits  of 
town  gardening  I  have  seen. 
In  the  Botanic  Gardens 
at  Bouen  the  first  things 
encountered  were  some  of 
those  enormous  and  un- 
meaning masses  of  Cannas, 
Tagetes,  &c,,  which  the 
FVench  sometimes  make 
cvenlarger  and  more  hideous 
than  we  do.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  neat  fruit  garden  and 
a  good  specimen  of  what 
they  call  a  school  of  botany 
— i.e.,  an  arrangement  of 
hardy  plants  scientifically 
named  and  arranged.  It  is 
only  fair  to  say  that  the 
plants  arc  kept  more  dis- 
tinct and  well  named  in 
those  divisions  of  French 
public  gardens  than  is  the 
case  in  Britain,  where  they 
are  too  often  allowed  to 
grow  wild  through  each  Pear  Tree  with  tUo  bmnchcB  trained  in 
Other.     Sabal  Adansoni    is      Jin"  "mHj  above  e«ch<.ther,  and  .11 

.  tue  points  imiled  bjr  grafting. 

placed  m  the  open  air  here 

for  the  summer,  and  seems  a  palm  of  such  rigid  and 
leathery  texture  that  it  should  do  for  general  use  in 
that  way.  The  &uit  garden  contains  a  good  many  of  what 
are  called  model  trees,  and  many  cordons ;  but  on  the  whole^ 
while  there  is  much  that  is  curious,  and  this  division  is  well 
kcptj  it  really  afibrds  little  instruction.    Specimens  in  the  U 


618 


NOTES    OF    A   HOATICOLTORAL   TOUR. 


form  abound.  The  only  noticeable  featore  was  a  trifling  oi 
— placing  willow  wands  in  the  exact  bend  and  direction  i 
which  it  is  desired  to  conduct  the  chief  branches.  That  on* 
done,  little  remaina  bnt  to  tie  the  young  shoots  in  the  desin 
direction.  A  great  deal  of  the  fruit  had  fallen,  in  consequent 
of  the  extreme  heat,  and  of  the  soil  being  sandy.  The; 
was  one  pretty  good  specimen  of  a  winged  pyramid — i.e., 
pyramid  having  the  branches  trained  in  five  vertical  line 
and  with  the  points  united  by  grafting,  as  in  Fig.  356. 

Wide  edgings  of  Ivy  are  used  as  a  margin  to  the  Ro 
beds,  and  with  a  very  good  cSbct.  The  rustic  iron  edging 
so  much  used  about  Paris,  are  also  employed  here.  Nati' 
Orchids  are  grown  in  the  botanical  division,  among  the: 
the  Lizard  and  others  that  are  rare  with  us.  The  conunc 
and  the  Irish  forms  of  the  Ivy  are  place 
under  exactly  similar  circumstances,  a  po 
tion  of  each  lying  flat  upon  the  ground,  at 
another  being  conducted  up  a  stake.  Tl 
decided  superiority  of  the  Irish  kind  cs 
be  seen  at  a  glance.  It  is  not  withoi 
reason  they  have  selected  it  for  the  publ 
gardens  of  Paris.  The  better  kinds  ■ 
lierbaceous  Pieonies  were  planted  in  tl 
grass  at  about  a  yard  or  so  Irom  tl 
margin  of  the  shrubberies — a  good  position  for  thei 
and  when  they  decay  no  blank  space  is  left.  The  bare 
Irises  are  grown  in  vases — a  plan  worth  pursuing  whe 
early  summer  gardening  is  practised,  bnt  they  shou 
be  in  ail  cases  associated  with  and  springing  from  dwarf 
plants.  The  contents  of  the  houses  here  were  perfect 
miserable.  The  ground  was  almost  covered  in  some  pai 
with  the  dead  bodies  of  cockchafers,  and  along  one  pa 
of  the  railroad  near  Ronen  I  noticed  a  wood  nearly  a  mi 
loug  quite  stripped  of  leaves  by  this  pest.  Not  long  befoi 
I  had  thought,  in  passing  through  a  rich,  green,  and  we! 
wooded  valley,  what  a  transformation  it  would  be  if  i 
could  see  the  trees  suddenly  stripped  of  their  summer  rob 
and  made  to  stand  bare  as  in  winter ;  and  here  it  was  wi 
a  vengeance.     It  is   no   exaggeration  to  state  that  mai 


>f  preccdim 


TROTES.  61^ 

great  towering  Lombardy  Poplars,  Oaks,  and  Birches,  were 
stripped  as  bare  as  if  it  had  been  a  December  instead  of 
a  June  morning. 

The  new  garden  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  named  after 
Solferino,  is  very  pretty,  the  trees  being  apparently  well 
established,  though  it  has  been  made  only  five  or  six  years. 
This  is  in  consequence  of  the  excellent  machinery  for 
removing  large  trees  which  is  now  in  use  in  most  large 
French  towns.  The  garden  is  embellished  by  a  small  piece 
of  water  and  a  really  well-constructed  scam  of  rockwork. 
A  few  boulders  peep  from  the  turf  on  one  side  of  the  water^ 
and  on  the  off-side  the  high  rocky  bank  seems  to  have  been 
worn  away  by  time  and  water,  every  trace  of  art  being 
concealed  by  trailing  Ivy  and  Evergreens.  The  beds  of 
Roses  in  this  garden  were  covered  with  green  moss  gathered 
from  neighbouring  woods.  It  adds  a  good  deal  to  the 
appearance  of  the  beds,  and  by  keeping  them  moist  of 
course  prolongs  and  improves  the  bloom. 

Troyes. — This  old  and  interesting  town,  from  which  Troy 
weight  takes  its  name,  is  interesting  to  the  horticulturist 
and  firuit-grower  from  the  Brothers  Baltet  having  extensive 
nurseries  in  and  near  it.  The  home  nursery,  which  is 
situated  in  the  town,  is  extensive  and  rich  in  advanced  spe- 
cimens of  pyramidal  and  other  Pear  trees.  Soon  after  enter- 
ing, horizontal  cordons  are  seen  in  large  numbers  running 
along  the  back  of  the  borders  which  margin  the  sides  of 
the  central  walk,  these  borders  being  occupied  by  flowering 
plants.  The  cordons  form  a  neat  finish  at  the  back,  and 
bear  a  plentiful  crop  of  finit,  though  they  are  not  established 
trees  such  as  one  sees  in  a  private  garden,  but  on  the  other 
hand  subject  to  the  transplantings,  sales,  &c.,  to  which 
nursery  stock  is  liable.  In  addition  to  those  in  this  position, 
horizontal  cordons  were  seen  in  many  parts,  and,  where 
established,  bearing  wonderfully  well.  Thus  the  Lady  Apple, 
well  established  on  the  Doucin  stock,  bore  fruit  almost  as 
thick  as  the  pretty  little  Apples  could  sit  on  a  cordon  not 
closely  pinched  in ;  but  on  the  Doucin  the  shoots  grew  too 
vigorously,  and  did  not  preserve  that  compact  appearance 
and  habit  which  is  so  desirable  in  these  trees.   If  the  soil  were 


620  NOTES   OF   A    HORTICULTURAL   TOUR. 

very  poor  and  light  and  dry,  the  tendency  to  over  vigour  wc 
be  repressed^  and  the  Doucin  prove  the  most  desirable  st< 
What  a  happy  thing  it  is  that  stocks  which  pes 
such  admirable  qualities  are  known  and  easily  prociu 
Your  soil  is  rich  deep  loam^  wet,  cold,  or  stiff.  Use 
French  Paradise,  and  you  obtain  large  and  beautiful  fi 
But  plant  the  same  on  a  very  poor,  dry,  hungry,  or  < 
careous  soil,  and  it  is  almost  useless.  But  then  we  have 
Doucin,  which  suits  the  poor  soils  to  perfection,  to  fall  b 
upon,  and  thus  the  best  results  may  be  produced  on  soil 
very  diverse  and  even  very  bad  qualities.  I  measured  s( 
of  the  larger  Apples  here,  and  found  that  many  were 
much  as  ten,  eleven,  and  eleven  and  a  half  inches  in 
cumference  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  of  July,  tho 
they  were  still  green  and  swelling,  and  not  to  be  gathc 
till  October.  Spring  frosts  occur  here  frequently,  and 
guide  mentioned  the  absence  of  frost  during  the  montl 
May  of  the  past  year  as  a  very  extraordinary  occurrei 
Here,  as  in  every  garden,  the  cultivator  remarks,  the  cord 
"  are  good  and  take  up  little  space/^  Of  course,  in  a  la 
public  nursery  like  this,  little  lines  of  trees  under  the 
of  numerous  daily  visitors,  who  may  at  times  buy  sucl 
them  as  they  fancy,  cannot  be  exhibited  in  the  perfect  s 
f  I  have  seen  them  in  private  gardens ;  besides,  a  numbe 

kinds  are  planted,  and  not  those  known  to  be  best  w< 
growing,  and  yet  suflScient  proof  of  the  excellence  of 
«ystem  was  here  afforded. 
j  The  Pear  was  not  growing  as  a  cordon,   although 

Apple  was  so  abundantly  grown  in  that  way,  the  Pear  Ix 

*  considered  unsuitable;   and  this  I  am  strongly  inclinec 

1    •  think  is  the  case,  from  having  ol)served  the  results  of 

I    ,  merous  plantations  of  horizontal   cordon  Pears.      1  h 


f    I     I. 


■  •   j  however,  known  excellent  crops  to  be  gathered  off  Lo 

'  Bonne  trained  thus,  and  doubt  not  that  a  small  and  ch 

selection  would  be  worthy  of  planting,  especially  where  t 
could  be  safely  protected  in  spring.  One  of  the  first  thi 
that  meet  the  eye  of  the  visitor  is  a  nice  crop  of  Bei 
Clairgeau  on  a  hedge  formed  of  that  variety.  Several  sin 
^  hedges  are  formed  beside  it,  and  arranged  rather  do 


TB0TE8.  621 

together,  so  that  plantB  may  be  placed  between  them  for 
the  sake  of  shade.  As  clipped  hedges  of  arbor  Tit«e  are  fre- 
qnently  employed  in  France  for  giving  shade  in  summer,  it 
need  scarcely  be  remarked  that  the  substitution  of  hedges 
of  good  varieties  of  Pears  would  be  an  improvement.  Of 
course  the  thing  could  be  done  in  England  as  well  as  here. 
At  first  stakes  are  used  to  support  the  trees,  and  indeed, 
some  must  be  employed  till  they  have  attained  their  perfect 
development ;  but  afterwards,  if  properly  trained,  they  will 
support  each  other  perfectly,  and  they  may  be  pruned  and 
kept  to  look  as  neatly  as  if  supported  by  a  costly  trellis. 
Alongside   one   of  the  main  walks  a  young  specimen  of  a 


Name  fonned  bjr  Pear  Tree*. 


very  carefiilly  and  neatly  made  curtain  of  this  kind  may  be 
seen.  These  hedges  bear  as  ^eely  and  well  as  any  other 
form  of  Fear  tree  whatever.  The  Beurr^  Clairgcau  line  was 
worked  on  Quince  and  Fear  stocks  alternately.  The  trees 
on  the  Quince  were  little  better  than  dead ;  those  on  the 
Fear  were  fine,  full  of  fruit,  showing  in  a  marked  manner 
that  the  variety  requires  the  Pear  stock.  There  are  several 
curious  attempts  at  forming  the  proprietors'  names  with 
trees,  and  away  from  walls  too,  in  this  nursery,  one 
of  which  is  here  figured.  There  are,  so  far  as  I  could 
learn,  no  large  gardens  devoted  to  fruit  ctilture  in  the 
neighbourhood,  but  multitudes  of  small  proprietors,  with 


<i22 


NOTES    OF   A    HORTICDLTURAL   TOUR. 


Mode  of  inducing  a  slBircd  Pear  o 
Qaiocc  Stock  ta  emit  ite  own  ruots 
Outline  of  mound  of  earth. 


specimens  of  good  varieties  in  their  gardens :  many 
these  send  their  aurplua  fruit  to  market,  and  the  same  is  I 
■case  over  a  large  part  of  Prance. 

If  the  Pear  grafted  on  the  Quince  is  planted  in  ground  c 
and  not  fertile,  the  ti 
pushes  with  little  vigt 
and  often  makes  han 
any  progress.  It  is  apt 
carry  when  very  yoting 
superabundant  quanti 
of  fruit  which  soon  t 
haosts  it,  and  it  will  li 
but  few  years.  This  ii 
porerishment  maybe  pi 
rented  by  "liberatin| 
n  the  the  tree  and  by  causing 
'  to  grow  on  its  own  ro« 
— a  practice  much  recoi 
mended  by  M.  Baltct.  The  process  is  as  follows : — In  spri 
from  three  to  six  vertical  incisions  are  made  a  little  abc 
the  junction  of  scion  and  stock,  as  herein  represented,  a 
about  an  inch  or  so  long,  and  deep  enough  to  sligh 
penetrate  beyond  the  bark  and  slightly  into  the  wood 
the  tree.  Afterwards  a 
little  heap  of  light  and 
rich  soil  is  raised  around 
the  stem  sufficiently  to 
cover  up  the  incisions. 
It  is  then  made  pretty 
firm  and  covered  with 
a  couple  of  inches  of 
old  dung,  so  as  to 
preserve  it  from  getting 
dried  up  by  very  warm 
weather.  Hoots  will 
quickly  descend,  and  the  tree  will  soon  attain  fresh  vig( 
on  its  own  roots,  and  become  quite  independent  of  i 
Quince.  The  old  root  and  its  influences  will  disappear 
course  of  time.     As  the  union  of  stock  and  scion  is  nsua 


ilesult  of  the  opera tio 


B0UR6-LA-REINE.  623 

placed  a  little  above  the  surface,  and  as  the  new  crop  of 
roots  given  off  by  the  Pear  wiU  enter  the  ground  from  this 
position,  it  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  surface  must  be 
gradually  raised  towards  the  base  of  the  tree  by  means  of 
suitable  turfy  loam,  so  as  to  encourage  the  new  roots. 
Considering  the  inconsiderate  way  that  the  Quince  has 
been  recommended  for  all  soils,  this  mode  should  prove 
useful. 

In  another  part  of  the  town  the  Ecole  Normale  of  the 
department  has  a  garden  behind  it  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  the  pupils  fruit  culture.  Here  double  or  super- 
imposed cordons  of  the  Lady  Apple  bore  fruit  in  great 
abundance.  The  walls  were  made  of  the  dried  stems  of  the 
common  Reed,  nailed  between  rough  and  cheap  wooden 
framework,  the  mass  of  stems  being  about  two  inches  thick. 
A  flat  board  nailed  along  the  top  at  about  seven  feet  from 
the  ground,  afforded  about  eight  inches  of  coping.  The  wall 
of  the  school  for  about  four  feet  from  the  ground  was  very 
neatly  covered  with  dwarf  Peach  trees  which  bore  a  fair 
<;rop,  and  neatly  covered  a  space  generally  left  naked. 

Bourg-la-Reine. — ^The  very  extensive  nurseries  of  Jamin 
and  Durand  in  this  neighbourhood  are  ftdl  of  interest  to 
the  fruit-grower.  In  addition  to  the  nursery  proper  there 
are  two  fruit  gardens — one  belonging  to  M.  Durand  and 
the  other  to  M.  Jamin,  both  recently  formed,  and  likely  to 
prove  of  much  interest  to  the  fruit-grower  by  and  by. 
Many  French  nurserymen  have  in  addition  to  the 
ground  devoted  to  the  raising  and  training  of  young 
trees  a  private  garden  or  "  school  '^  of  fruit  culture,  in 
which  the  various  kinds  may  be  seen  in  a  developed 
state.  The  garden  recently  established  by  M.  F.  Jamin 
has  been  well  walled  in,  the  walls  of  stone  having  a 
-coping  of  overlapping  tiles,  which  project  about  nine 
inches.  This  is,  perhaps,  as  cheap  and  good  a  coping 
as  any  in  use,  and  its  effect  is  neat,  much  more  so  than 
that  of  other  tile  copings  employed  here.  The  walls  are 
all  wired  closely  and  effectively  with  the  galvanized  wire 
and  the  raidisseur.  The  walls  with  the  warmest  and  best 
aspects  are  planted  with  Peaches  and  winter  Pears,  and 


I 


624 


NOTES   OF  A  HOETICDLTDBAI  TOUK. 


herein  is  an  instructive  lesson.  While  continnaUj  tal 
ing  of  the  fine  climate  of  France,  we  have  been  going  on  f 
years  taking  little  interest  in  wall  Fear  culture,  but  plantii 
pyramids  everywhere,  and  thus  we  have  practically  con 
to  be  without  a  stock  of  the  finer  winter  Pears,  and  cob 
pelled  to  import  enormous  quantities  of  them  &om  Frani 
at  high  prices. 

Here  I  found  a  moat  experienced  fruit-grower  —  oi 
who  has  also  lived  in  good  fruit-growing  establishments  i 
England — who  said  emphatically  that  it  is  absolutely  usele 
to  attempt  the  culture  of  the  finer  winter  Pears,  the  mo 
valuable  of  all,  away  from  walls,  and  that  it  is  nece 
sary  to  place  such  kinds  as  the  Easter  Benrre  again; 
well-coped  walls  with  a  southern  exposure,  the  soil  beiu 
of  the  finest  description  and  the  climate  that  of  Paris.  C 
coarse  he  could  grow  some  of  them  in  the  open,  hi 
then  they  would  be  uncertain  and  worthless ;  and  he  givi 
an  instance — Beurre  Bance,  which  is  first-rate  again: 
walls.  The  collection  of  winter  Pears  had  only  been  plante 
a  short  time,  and  yet  the  crop  was  very  good,  ever 
young  tree  bearing  as  much  as  one  could  desire  to  sr 
upon  it.  It  is  fiually  intended  that  these  Pear  trees  sha 
assume  the  form  known  as  the  Palmettc  Verrier ;  but  [ 
present  the  branches  are  trained  diagonally — another  ii 
stance  of  the  excellent  practice  of  allowing  branches  tht 
arc  finally  to  assume  the  horizontal  position  to  grow  fin 
in  an  ascending  direction,  so  that  they  may  be  fumishe 
and  formed  with  less  trouble  and  in  a  shorter  time,  the  sa 
rising  much  more  freely  and  naturally  in  young  branehc 
that  ascend  obliquely  than  when  they  run  in  an  exactl 
horizontal  direction.  When  the  outer  ones  are  long  an 
old  enough  to  form  the  bend, 'and  have  their  points  directe 
towards  the  top  of  the  wall,  then  the  current  of  sap  : 
drawn  through  as  well  as  could  be  desired.  Beurre  Dii 
is  also  planted  against  walls  here — not  that  it  may  not  b 
grown  in  the  open  air,  but  its  flowers  are  very  liable  t 
be  injured  by  frost  in  spring,  and  therefore  it  is  placed  o 
a  wall  to  secure  a  crop. 

The  mode  of  fixing  the  horizontal  cordon  here  is  tl 


B0UE6-LA-REINE.  625 

most  permanent  if  not  the  cheapest  I  have  seen.  Figure 
155^  p.  354^  renders  a  description  unnecessary.  Several 
hundred  feet  of  wire  may  be  placed  between  two  of  these 
supports  with  the  greatest  advantage^  and  nothing  can  look 
neater.  The  appearance  of  the  horizontal  cordon  is  very 
much  improved  by  this  mode  of  arranging  it,  which  is 
to  be  preferred  to  that  of  using  wooden  posts.  The 
trainer  remarked  that  any  required  length  of  wire 
might  be  supported  between  two  of  these  supports, 
"even  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  feet.''  For  short 
distances  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  have  such  strong 
supports. 

In  this  same  garden  the  plan  of  adopting  three  rising 
shoots  from  one  base,  instead  of  the  cordon  system,  has 
been  carried  out.  It  is  applied  to  the  Apricot  and  the 
Peachy  one  kind  being  worked  on  each  ascending  branch, 
and  three  kinds  borne  by  one  root.  There  was  no  indica- 
tion of  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  trios  thus 
united  not  to  grow  agreeably  together ;  indeed,  they  were 
as  equally  balanced  and  healthy  as  could  be  wished. 
Where  it  is  desired,  by  nurserymen  or  private  growers, 
to  have  a  goodly  number  of  varieties  in  a  restricted 
space,  this  is  proved  here  to  be  the  best  plan  of  all. 
Western  and  southern  walls  require  more  protection 
and  wider  copings  than  those  with  northern  and  eastern 
aspects,  the  abundant  rains  being  more  dreaded  than 
the  frost,  and  the  western  walls  here  have  several  inches 
more  copiug  than  the  eastern.  It  seems  odd  that  culti- 
vators living  in  such  a  perfect  climate  should  take  more 
precautions  against  cold  rains  than  we  do  in  these  watery 
islands  ! 

M.  Durand's  garden  contains  a  collection  of  the  choicest 
grapes  grown  in  France,  and  though  quite  recently  formed, 
already  contains  promising  trees  of  many  kinds.  This 
plan  of  devoting  a  special  garden  to  fully  formed  fruit 
trees  is  worthy  of  imitation  by  our  nurserymen.  1  am 
particularly  indebted  to  M.  Durand  for  valuable  assistance 
in  seeing  the  gardens  of  the  neighbourhood — ^those  below 
ground  as  well  as  on  the  surface — ^for  we  descended  to- 

8  s 


I 


hi 


i" 


il 


626  NOTES   OV  A   HOBTlCDLTtJBAL  TOCE. 


PlanofFriiit 


AA*- 


ic  GBrdcn  Tor  Iho  Norili  of  France,  dtsiKned  ly  M.  J.  Durand, 
of  Bonrg-la-Rcino,  150  jsnls  long  ■ndeO  bioad. 

J  lo  Plan. — A,  CisttniB  for  ttaWr  aiippty.     B,  South  iraU  n 

Fetch  trees  traineil  \a  tLe  fui,  [mlmelle,  and  cnndolnbmm  fbrnu.  C,  E^ftli 
of  t'Mn  in  tbe  palmstia  fotin,  tbs  IracB  at  ciKhlcpn  feci  apart.  D,  Lion 
Ap)ile«  tndntd  ua  horizontal  cotdoot,  planted  twelve  feet  aninder  and  a  few  inc: 


Refeukcei  1 


BOFEO-LA-BEINE.  627 

gcther  into  coalpit-like  carea  to  see  the  mushroom  culture. 


Pcur  Tree  ahDirn  at  the  Paris  Eipoiition  of  1867,  bv  M.  Croa^  at  Sccaui. 
All  the  points  of  the  biuiches  bBre  heen  aafted  bj  gralling, 

Ou  mentioning  to  M.  Durand  my  wish  to  have  a  plan  of 
nhat   be  would  consider  a  good  example  of  a  fruit  gar- 

witlun  the  nurgin  of  the  beda.  E,  Pear  trees  in  the  coluniDar  form,  planted 
«t  ten  Tcet  apart.  F,  North  wall  vith  Cherry  troet,  planted  at  ahont  sixteen  feet 
■part.  O,  Boih  Apple*  on  the  Faradiie  «tock,  planted  at  six  feet  apart.  E, 
East  wall  with  irinter  Fears  rach  u  Eaater  BeDirt,  CrMione,  snci  St.  Qermain. 
I,  Sontfa  wall  ofPeacb  trees  witb  fi*e  erect  branches,  planted  eight  feet  wnndeT. 
J,  North  vail  with  Cherries  in  the  palmette  form,  planted  aboat  sizteen  feet 
apart.  K,  Weit  wall  of  summer  and  aatnma  Peu*.  L  L,  Interior  walls  of  the 
KBiden.  H.  I^Tuaidal  Pear*  pluited  at  twentj  feet  apart.  N,  East  wall  with 
Aplicota — horinntall;  truned  trees  planted  twenty  feet  apart.  0,  West  wall 
with  Plnras,  planted  at  twenty  feet  apart.  F,  Ooosebcrries.  Q,  Carrants.  B, 
Raspherries.    S,  Bonndaiy  trellis,  which  may  he  coTered  with  Vines,  or  Paara 


628 


NOTBS   OF  A   BOETICVLTDBAL  TOUB. 


dea  in  Northern  France,  he  waa  so  good  u  to  deaig 
one  apecisUy  for  me,  and  I  have  much  pleasure  in  givin 
it  here. 

ScKAvx. — In  the  same  neighboorhood  are  noneiies  ht 
longing  to  M.  Cronx,  and  a  very  good  school  of  froit  cultui 
apart  from  the  lai^  home  nnrseiy.  It  is  nearly  two  acn 
and  a  half  in  extent,  and  established  about  six  year 
Many  of  the  trees  are  traioed  into  very  curious  forms.  Ti 
cordons  here  have  grown  too  strongly,  and  every  secoa 
stem  is  severed.  They  had  of  course  been  previously  firml 
grafted  one  to  the  other.  Cydonia  sinensis  against  waU 
has  fiiiit  a  foot  long  in  favoorable  seasons,  but  is  simply 
cariosity.  Several  kinds  of  Ribes,  including  the  gooai 
berry,  are  grafted  on  the  red  currant,  and  there  are  variov 
other  curiosities.  The  remarkable-loolung  specimen  ( 
training  seen  in  the  preceding  Ulustratiou  was  shown  b 
M.  Cronx  at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1867,  and  thei 
much  admired.  The  plant  nurseries  of  MM.  Thibat 
and  Keteleer  in  the  same  neighbourhood  are  well  wort 
seeing, 

Cratillon,  Fontenay  A0X  Roses. — Visitors  to  Bour| 
la-Beine  or  Sceaux  may  on  the  same  ds 
conveniently  %'isit  the  garden  of  \ 
Chardon  in  this  village.  The  owner 
an  amateur,  and  has  a  most  iuterestin 
little  garden  of  fruit  trees.  In  add 
tion  to  the  common  and  well-know 
forms,  he  has  many  specimens  trmnc 
over  walks  and  bowers,  and  altogetht 
I  the  garden  is  well  worth  a  call  froi 
"  anybody  visiting  Paris  who  wishes  1 
see  what  may  be  done  vrith  fruit  trci 
by  an  amateur  in  his  spare  hours. 

SuisNEs  (£rie-Comte- Robert). — Tl 
nursery  of  M.  Cochet  here  is  an  inb 
resting  one  for  the  fruit-grower,  an 
the  owner  is  a  very  popular  horticulturist.  Apples,  on  tl 
horizontal  cordon  system,  are  planted  here  in  laxge  number 


Fjq.  963. 


SUISNES. 


629 


Fio.  365. 


ia  places  where  before  they  used  to  have  high  box  edgings. 

They  were   among  the  best  cordons  I  have 

seen  in  France,  some  bearing  as  much  fruit 

as  they  seemed  able  to  properly  develope ;  yet 

M.  Cochet  considered  it  a  very  thin  crop,  and 

said  they  frequently  have  them  almost  as  thick 

as  they  can  stand   along  the  line.     This  was 


Fio.  364. 


Pear  Tree  with  horizontal  hranches,  becoming  shorter 
towards  the  apex  of  the  tree,  and  supported  by  slender 
galvanized  wires  stretched  from  a  stake  at  back  of  the 
tree  to  pegs  or  stones  in  the  g^and. 


Mode  of  support- 
ing stake  for  trees 
trained  as  shown 
in  the  preceding 
figore. 


Fio.  366. 


the  case  in  1867.  Several  walks  are  margined  here  with 
two  instead  of  one  line  of  cordons,  the  inner  line  being 
about  three  inches  higher  than  the 
outer  one.  Of  course  many  varia- 
tions may  be  made  thus,  but  I  have 
as  yet  seen  nothing  to  alter  my 
opinion  that  the  single  line,  well 
conducted  and  rather  freely  deve- 
loped, is   the   best  of  all,  though 

.^  ...  1       .  Stakes  for  fixing  the  wirei 

there  are  many  positions  and  cir-  shown  in  Fig.  364. 


BOTES    OF   A    HOKTICULTDEAL   TODR. 


cnmstanceB  in  which  two  lines,  superimposed  cordons  or  other 
modifications,  will  prove  desirable.  M.  Cochet  has  planted 
almost  every  good 
variety  of  apple  on 
this  principle,  and 
finds  they  all  do 
well  on  it.  All  are 
grafted  on  the  true 
or  French  Paradise 
stock.  Some  of 
his  fruit  from  three 
year  old  plants  was 
remarkably  fine, 
and  nothing  coidd 
look  prettier  than 
thehandsomeapples 
along  the  side  of 
the  walks.  Of 
course  a  mnch  more 
regular  and  better 

fia.  368. 


Ptan  of  Espalier 
ceding  figure  ai 


effect  could  be  obtained  by  lines  of  one  kind  only,  and  the 
training  and  pruning  of  them  also  would  be  more  likely  to  be 
performed  in  the  best  manner.     In  nearly  all  parts  of  the 


631 


garden  there  was  abundant  evidence  that  the  horizontal 
cordon  for  Apples  is  the  best  improvement  cSected  in  open- 
air  £rnit  culture  for  years. 

A  line  of  Fears 
trained  thus  may  also 
be  seen,  bnt  it  is  a 
failure,  although  there 
was  a  line  crop  hang- 
ing on  one  specimen 
of  the  Belle  Angevine. 
When  grown  in  this 
way  the  Pear  usually 
manifests  a  disposition 
to  shoot  up  "gour- 
mauds,"  or  shoots  very 
like  those  of  Willows, 
from  the  bend.  On 
walls  where  the  sap 
has  room  to  spread, 
this  inconvenience  is 
of  course  not  present. 
The  young  Pear  and 
other  trees  here  in 
preparation  for  wall 
and  espalier  culture 
are  beautifully  trained 
in  line  by  means  of 
tightly  strained  galva- 
nized wires.  By  tliis 
means  trees  fit  to  place 
against  walls  imme- 
diately, and  without  a 
leaf  or  shoot  out  of 
place,  may  he  picked 
out  at  any  time.  A 
good   many  handsome 

Palmette  and  other  trees  are  to  be  seen,  but  jMrtico- 
larly  remarkable  are  those  trained  "  en  faaeMO,"  or  in  viist 

sometimes  called  the  colimnar  form.     Tliii  k  mmjir  c 


632 


NOTES    OF   A    HOKTICULTUBAL   TOUB. 


tree  trained  to  a  single  stem,  or  a  vertical  c<»doD,  the  t 
being  allowed  to  grow  as  high  as  it  likes,  and  thus  ch 
columns  of  leaves  and  fruits  are  formed  as  much  as  fifte 
feet  high.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  fine  condition  of  ma 
of  these  treesj  perfectly  laden  from  top  to  bottom  in  ma 
cases,  and  in  many  more  bending  arched  to  the  ground  wi 
the  weight  of  their  fruit.  They  were  not  staked,  but  wh 
they  are  grown  in  a  regular  fruit  garden  it  is  the  custom 
securely  connect  them  near  the  top  by  a  line  of  wire,  so  tl 
tiiey  cannot  bend  down  with  the  weight  of  the  fruit.  Thi 
adTantagea  are  that  fruit  and  leaves  enjoy  abundance  of  a 
and  air.     The  fruit  is  said  to  be  better  flavonred  than  in 


!•• 


Portion  of  Self-iupporling  «»palier  of  Pear  Tree),  formt^  orhontoDtal  aod  rt 
call;  trained  tree*,  tbe  poiats  of  the  horizonlall}'  tnimed  tne  gnfted 
Bppro&ch  to  tbe  enter  bnucbes  only  of  th«  vertical  ones. 

the  Pyramid  tree,  in  which  there  is  usually  a  good  deal 
shade,  while  they  are  perhaps  the  easiest  of  all  forms 
conduct,  and  a  great  many  kinds  may  be  grown  on  a  sm 
space.  Their  drawback  appears  to  be  the  great  height 
which  they  attain ;  inxming,  and  the  gathering  of  the  fri 
are  not  so  facile  as  is  desirable. 

In  many  French  gardens  a  peculiarly  simple  and  neatway 
training  espalier  Pear  trees  may  be  seen  (see  Figs,  on  p.  62! 
and  there  were  good  examples  both  here  and  in  the  next  pla 
described.  It  consists  of  a  stout  stake  for  the  main  trunk 
the  tree,  and  of  wires  running  from  this  to  stones  or  pe 


BBUNOT.  683 

buried  in  the  ground.  That  the  roots  of  the  tree  may  not 
be  hurt  hy  a  large  stake,  this  is  aometimes  supported  by 
the  stem,  as  shown  by  Fig.  365.  Besides,  the  support  for 
the  wires  and  younger  branches  is  only  required  towards 
the  top  of  tree;  heoce  another  reason  for  not  fixing  the 
stake  in  the  gronnd.  It  is  quite  easy  to  project  little 
stakes  from  the  stouter  parts  to  the  young  growing  branch- 
lets  of  the  tree,  and  thus  keep  the  points  perfectly  truned 
in  the  desired  direction.  On  the  first  of  November  every 
year,  M.  Forest,  one  of  the  many  professors  of  fruit  culture 
in  Paris,  and  a  very  popular  and  excellent  one,  gives  and 
illustrates  h^e  a  lecture,  which  is  attended   by  from  three 


of  Pear  Trees  vrilh  tlie  branches  grafUd  bj  approach. 


to  four  hundred  gardeners  from  various  parts  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. I  may  add  that  about  here  the  best  workmen 
are  paid  3f.  75c.  a  day ;  others  less  skilled  or  less  able  re- 
ceive a  franc  or  so  less. 

Bkhnoy  (Seine  et  Marne). — There  is  here  a  very  re- 
markable fruit  garden  belonging  to  an  amateur,  M.  Nallet — 
a  garden  which  will  repay  a  visit  at  any  time  of  the  year. 
It  is  only  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  Brunoy  station,  passed 
on  the  way  to  Fontainebleau,  and  within  an  easy  distance 
of  Paris.  It  ia  an  oblong  piece  of  ground,  walled  in  and 
with  a  straight  walk  through  the  centre,  bordered  by  two 
lines  of  handsome  pyramidal  trees,  cut  off  from  the  walk  by 


6S4 


NOTES    Of   A    HOETI  CULTURAL    TOCR. 


w 


long  horizontal  cordons,  lines  of  tall  treUis-irork  runu 
at  right  angles  with  the  main  walk,  and  accommodating 
infinite  Tarie^  of  trees — many  fanciiiil,  and  many  of 
best  and  most  useful  forms.  Nnmben  o{  horitoi 
cordons  were  in  fair  bearing,  but  the  proprietor  ccnnphu 
that  the  crop  was  one  of  the  worst  he  ever  had. 
considered  that,  taking  bad  years  with  good,  an  arer 
of  ten  fruit  per  yard  run  of  each  line  might  be  < 
cnlated  upon.  The  cordons  are  never  protected,  and,  1 
as  elsewhere,  fiimish  numerous  places  almost  useless,  : 
which  would  otherwise  not  be  occupied  at  all.  It 
utterly  impossible  to  give 
Fin.  373.  reader   an   idea    of    the    vari 

of  form  to  be  seen  in  the  £ 
trees,  therefore  we  will  con: 
ourselves  to  the  most  remarka 
The  garden  offers  recreal 
to  its  amiable  owner,  and 
while  not  neglecting  the  v 
best  forma,  also  amuses  him 
occasionally  fay  transforming  < 
or  more  trees  into  the  monogi 
of  his  wife's  name  and  his  o 
The  columnar  form  elsewh 
figured  is  very  well  developed  hi 
some  of  the  specimens  approach 
eighteen  feet  in  height.  T 
are  regularly  staked,  and  h 
A  Pear  Tree  from  handsome  Es-   H^ea    of  vrire    COUneCt    them 

Sulier  trained  to  form  the  name     ,  i     ,    .1  1 

lALLET,  the  tops,  SO   that  they  are  l 

firmly  together. 
Numerous  Palmette  trees  occur  here,  and  it  is  notdcet 
that  the  lines  which  the  trees  are  to  follow  are  laid  d( 
at  first  with  willow  or  other  slender  flexible  rods.  A  PI 
tree,  trained  as  a  Palmetto  Yerrier,  was  very  ornamen 
the  lines  of  fruit  darkening  the  long,  neatly  guided  brand 
Nearly  1000  lbs.  of  galvanized  wire  have  been  used 
this  garden.  Curtains  of  Pear  and  other  trees,  trained 
slender  trellises  of  this  wire,  are  very  well  formed.     ' 


635 


Peach  is  grown  to  some  extent  agaiuBt  the  walls,  and  Buccess- 

Mly,  some  of  the  trees  looking  ahnost  as  well  as  those  at 

Montrenil,  though   the  walls  are  not   so  high.      A  large 

portion  of  the  wall  space  is  devoted  to  oblique  cordons  of  the 

Easter  Benrr^,  and  these  were  in  excellent  bearing ;  they  had 

been  planted  six  years,  were  aboat  twelve  feet  long,  and  bore 

from  ten  to  fifteen  fruit  each.     Planted  at  twenty  inches 

apart,  and  confined  to  one  stem,  which  is   never  cat  back 

at  the  point  if  the  wood  be  ripe,  they  soon  cover  the  wall, 

and,  the  good  fruit  of  this  variety  fetchiog  a  high  price,  a 

quick   return    is   afforded  by   the 

trees.     There  can  be  no  doubt  that 

this  is  the  best  phase  of  the  cordon 

system   against   walls,   and,   as  the 

same  plan  has  been  carried  out   on 

all  the  walls  of  the  new  fruit  garden 

of  the  municipality  of  Paris  in  the 

Bois  de  Vincennes,  there  must  be 

some    good    reasons  ia  its   favour. 

Several   small    walled    gardens   arc 

being  made  in  connexion  with  the 

chief  one  of   M.  Nallet,  and  here 

again   the   greater    portion   of   the 

wall  surface    is    devoted    to  Easter 

Bcurre,  the   plantations  being   one 

and  two  years  old.     Six  years  ago,  pg^  t^   trained  in  ttie 

the  first  trees  in  the   garden  were      Crij-oluw   form,   ten  feci 

planted,  and  I  doubt  much  if  any       '^  ' 

fruit  garden  in  existence  better  illustrates  what  may  be  done 

with  good  managemeiit  in  a  short  time. 

The  practice  of  grafting  by  approach  the  branches  of 
the  Pear  trees  is  extensively  employed  here,  as  shown  in 
Figs.  870,  371,  and  373.  The  figures  wiU  better  explain 
the  mode  of  training  and  the  aspect  of  the  trees  in  the 
garden  than  any  description.  I  am  much  indebted  to 
M.  Nallet  for  his  kindness  in  sending  me  accurate  sketches 
of  some  of  his  moat  remarkable  trees. 

A  distinct  and  apparently  useful  form  of  tree  I  met  with 
here  for  the  first  time.     It  is  called  the  crinoline  form,  and 


If! 


•I' 

•V, 


6S6      NOTES  OF  A  HOKTICCLTUEAL  TODK  IN   FKANCB. 

is  made  b^  takiog  eight  brandies  &om  the  base  of  the  tr 
and  bringing  them  outside  a  drcular  hoop,  allowing  o 
main  stem  to  ascend  erect.  The  branches,  after  growini 
little  above  the  hoop,  irhich  gives  a  desirable  uniformi^ 
the  base,  ascend  at  regular  iot 
Fra.375.  yals    to  the    top,  where  they  i 

neatly  united  to  the  erect  aho 
The  figures  will  explain  this  foi 
but  the  stake  in  Fig.  375  has  b< 
made  mudi  too  large  by  the 
graver.  It  should  be  of  iron.  T 
figure  is  in  other  respects  a  gi 
representation  of  a  handsome  spc 
men  in  M.  Nallef  s  garden.  £i 
branch  being  kept  distinct,  and 
tree  being  well  opened  up  hj  i 
system,  the '  effect  was  very  gi 
indeed,  and  the  crops  too,  c 
sidering  that  th^  were   a  fiul 

Fio.  376. 


Pe«r  Tree  in  CrinoliDe   form,         Pl»n  of  Pbk  TtM,  shown  in  Kg.  37& 
BHTCDteen  feet  bigh  anil  six 
fnt  in  diuneter. 

throughout  France  during  the  past  year.  A  specimen  of 
Bucbesse  d'AogoulSme  trained  thus  was  one  of  the  i 
pleasing  looking  trees  I  have  ever  seen.  The  method  has  n 
advantages  than  would  appear  at  first  sight — the  long  & 
ing  branches  being  thoroughly  exposed  to  the  sun  and  li 
from  bottom  to  top,  the  branches  being  held  firm,  and 
tree  being  altogether  a  decided  improremeat  upon 
pyramid  for  important  positions  in  gardens. 


INDEX. 


ABYSSINIAN  Moaa,  55,  84 
Acacia  lophantha,  188 
Acanthus  latifolins,  96,  210 
Agave  americana,  187 
AUantus  glandnlofla^  a  yaloable  town 

tree,  171 
Andropogon  aqnarroenm,  212 
Angen,  610 

Apartments,  plant  decoration  of,  262 
Apple,  the,  as  a  cordon,  323 
Apples,  selection  of  the  finer  kinds  for 

growing  on  the  cordon  system,  843 
Aralia  ednlis,  212 
,,     japoniea,  213 
„      papyrifera,  187 
„      papyrifera  stored  in  cayes  under 
the  Jardin  Fleuriste,  151 
Aralia  Sieboldi,  214 
„     spinosa,  213 
Aigenteoil,  asparagus  culture  at,  501 
Artichoke  (Oynara  Scolymns)  as  a  fine- 
leaved  plant,  65 
Artichokes,  varieties  of,  used  in  Paris, 

516 
Arundo  oonspicua,  215 
,,      Donax,  214 
,,  „      versicolor,  214 

Asparagus  culture,  501 
Asparagus,  mode  of  forcing,  513 
Asphalte,  preparation  of,  131 
„        roads,  135 

,,        used  for  the  footways  of  the 
Boulevards,  130 
Asplenium  nidus-avis,  189 
Avenue  de  I'Empereur,  124 
„  rimp6ratrice,  124 
des  Champs  Elys6es,  3 


»» 


}> 


BAMBOOS,  hardy,  141,  215 
Bamhnsa  viridis-glauoescens,  215 
Barbe  de  Oapudn,  499 
Barometer  employ^  by  market  gar- 
deners of  Paiis,  470 
Bassin  de  Latone  at  Versailles,  249 
Neptune,  247 


}» 


Bathing,  136 

Bedding  plants,  excellent  houses  for,  in 
JanUn  Fleuriste,  148 

Beauty  of  form  a  want  in  our  conser- 
vatories, 282 

Binette,  the,  568 

Bird  feeding  in  the  Tuileries  gardens,  16 

Bois  de  Boulogne,  18 
,,      Yincenoes,  35 

Borders  in  front  of  fruit  walls  planted 
with  cordons,  355 

Bosquet  des  B&ios  d^Apollon  at  Ver- 
sailles, 247 

Bosquet  du  Roi  at  Versailles,  245 

Boulevard  Richard  Lenoir,  122 

Boulevards,  architecture  of,  113 
„  origin  of  the,  118 

„  roadways  and  footpaths  of, 

120,  129 

Boulevards,  the,  112 

„  „     under  Louis  XrV.,  120 

Bourg-la-Eeine,  623 

Bracket,  galvanised  iron,  for  support- 
ing temporary  coping,  436 

Breffit,  Messrs.  E.,  and  Co.,  599 

Britons,  intelligent,  their  keen  appre- 
ciation of  a  well-ordered  city  helps  to 
pay  for  improvements  in  Paris,  103 

Brown,  Messrs.  J.  B.,  and  Co.,  599 

Brunoy,  633 

Bur  recid,  the,  581 


pAF^  stalls,  &e.,   in  public  gar- 

Caladium  bat^viense,  59 

„        esculentum,  56,  189 
Cannas,    how  they  are  stored   in  the 

Jardin  Fleuriste,  151 
Cannas,  the,  191 
Calville  BImic  apple,  how  to  grow  it  to 

perfection  in  this  country,  337 
Calville  Blano  apple,  mode  of  growing 

it  at  Hontreuil,  441 
Oardoon,    the,    best   sorts   grown  in 

France,  516 


638 


INDEX. 


I 

t 


s ' 


■»    > 


GardooD,  the,  culture  of^  522 

GuTot,  smaU,   of  the  Paris  market, 

caltnre  of,  520 
Catacombs,  the.  111 
Gancannier,  M.,  hia  establiahment  for 

forcmg  asparagoB,  514 
Caoliflower,  kinds  grown  round  Paris, 

519 
Cauliflower,  forcing  of  the,  524 
CaTes   for   storing   plants  under  the 

Jardin  Fleuriste,  151 
CaTes,  mushroom,  472 
Centaurea  babylonieay  217 
Gerds  austnlis,  86 
Chairs,  garden,  563 
Chanuerops  exoelsa,  219 
ChMDpignonnistfls,  471 
Champs  Elys^es,  1 
Change,  necessitj  for  a  radical  one  in 

our  citj  improTements,  116 
Chasaelas  grape,  long  wbXL  of,  at  Fon- 

tainebleau,  252 
Chatillon,  628 
Gherallier,    M.,  his  garden  at  Kon- 

treuil,  442 
Chicory,  improved  variety  of,  517 
Chloride  of  calcium,  use  of,  in  fruit 

room,  566 
Church  gardens  and  cemeteries,  104 
Citj  graveyards,  gardening  in,  106 
Clianthus  Dampieri,  142 
Climates  of  Paris  and  London  compared, 

548 
Climbers  trained  up  the  stems  of  trees, 

57 
Clipping  trees  a  barbarism,  260 
Cloche,  its  use  in  lettuce  culture,  490 

„      the,  596 

„        „    where  to  obtain,  599 
Cockchafer,  ravages  of,  618 
Colonnade,  the,  at  Versailles,  246 
Columnar  trainiDg,  391 
Concert  of  the  Champs  Elys^es,  5 
Conservatory  in  Jardin  d*  Aoclimatation, 

34 
Conservatories,    wooden  shading    for, 

586 
Conservatories,   frequently   unsatisfS^c- 

tory,  both  as  regards  contents  and 

design,  280 
Contrast  between  the  keeping  of  the 

grass    in  the  parks    of  Paris   and 

London,  87 
Copper  beech,  the,   unwisely  recom- 
mended for  town  planting,  117 
Cordon,  horizontal,  advantages  of,  850 

„      mode  of  supporting  the  hori- 
zontal, 336 
Cordon,  mode  of  supporting  the  hori- 
zontal, 854 


Cordons,  Mr.  /allies  Barnes,  of  Bic 

on,  851 
Cordons^  Mr.  J.  A.  WalM>n  on,  85S 
Cordon,  pinching    the  shoots  of 

horisontal,  841 
Cordon,  management  of  the,  339 

„      spiral,  the,  866 

„      qritem,  how  it  may  be  ad 

tiygeously  adopted  on  fruit-wall 

dera,852 
Cordon  system,  objections  to^  answ< 

848 
Cordon  system  of  fruit  growing,  3^ 

„      what  is  it  f  884 
Cordons,  grafking  to  unit^  342,  84 
„      more  than  five  milea  el 

Imperial  Gbzdens  at  YaraaiUes, 
Com  salad,  498 
Courtdidre,  254 

Courtois-Gerazd  and  Pavard,  MM^ 
Covent  Gbxden,  540 
Crambe  oordifolia,  220 
Crinoline  form,  a  good  one   for 

Pear,  685 
Crowded  streets  and  bad  arraogco 

not  confined  to  the  central  par 

London,  117 
Cuenmis  perennis,  220 
Cuscutas,  the,  in  Jardin  des  Plantc 
Cyrtanthera  camea,  96 


TVATISCA  cannahina,  220 

jJ  Deciduous  trees,  reasons  why 

succeed  in  cities,  161 
Dedduoos  trees,  tiie  beat  for  Loi 

161 
Dijon,  609 

Dimorphanthus  manchuricus,  142 
Doudn  stock,  855 

„         „      description  of,  357 
Dracaenas  for  room  decoration,  265 
the,  195 


ft 


EASTEE  Benrr6  pear,  double  gn 
of,  430 
Easter  Beurr^  pear  grown  on  wal 

France,  322 
Echeveria  metallica,  195 
Edgings  for  parks,  public  gardena 

698 
Edgings  of  ivy,  how  to  make,  310 
Elm,  large-leaved  Weeping,  a  fine 

tx«^172 
Elm,  tiie,  as  a  city  tree,  170 
Elymus  arenariusu221 
Endives,  used  in  raris,  best  kind 

517 
English  cemeteries,  107 


I 


* 


\  ; 


INDEX. 


639 


Erianthns  Bayennse,  32 

Brythrioas,  57 

Bspaliers  in  the  Imperial  Gardens  at 

Versailles,  425 
Espaliers,  protection  for,  582 
„        self-supporting,  S38 
„        mode  of  protecting,  430 
Erergreen  trees  that  flourish  in  cities, 

177 
Erergreen  trees  and  shmhs  destroyed 

by  London  smnt,  161 


FAN   palms,   old    specimens  of,   in 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  75 
Ferdinanda  eminens,  196 
Femlas,  the,  221 
Fdte  of  the  gardeners,  31 
Ficns  elastica,  196 
Fig   culture  in  the  neighbourhood  of 

Paris,  395 
Fig  trees  buried  in  the  earth  to  pre- 
serve them  from  frost,  395,  399 
Fig  trees  planted  on  sloping  ground, 

401 
Floating  baths  on  the  Seine,  136 
Fontainebleau,     and     the    Gladiolus 

grounds  of  M.  Souehefey  251 
Forcing,  frames  for,  568 
Formal   margins  to    clumps   in   bad 

taste,  61 
Fountains,  laige  ones  at  Versailles  and 

at  the  Crystal  Palace,  hideous,  240 
French  apples,  high  price  of^  in  London 

fruit  shops,  337 
French  writer,   a,    on  the  squares  of 

Paris  and  Loudon,  86 
Fr6pillon,  mushroom  culture  at,  477 
Fruit  branches,  the  lines  they  are  to 

follow  first  marked  on  the  walls,  444 
Fruit  buds,  grafting  oi^  on  bare  spaces, 

393 
Fruit  culture :  how  are  we  to  improve  ? 

812 
Fruit  culture,  list  of  gardens  where  it 

may  be  seen,  545 
Fmit  garden  for  northern  France,  plan 

of,  by  M.  J.  Durand,  626 
Fruit  gBLiden  of  the  city  of  Paris  in  the 

Bois  de  Vinoennes,  433 
Fruit  rooms,  drying,  566 

,,     shelves,  improved,  566 

„    trees,  improved  forms  of,  for  es- 
palier and  wall  training,  426 
Fruit  trees,  nurseries  for,  near  Paris, 

546 
Fruit  trees  planted  to  a  much  greater 

extent  in  France  than  in  England, 

614 
Funkia  sub-cordftta,  57 


/^ARDEN  of  Acclimatization  in  the 

U  Bois  de  Boulogne,  32 

Gardens  in  which  the  more  instructive- 
features  of  practical  horticulture 
may  be  seen  in  and  near  Paris,  545 

Ghastly  result  of  using  immortelles  in 
Parisian  cemeteries,  108 

Gladioli,  list  of  choice,  257 

Gladiolus  culture  at  Fontainebleau,  25^ 

Glass  houses,  good  arrangement  of,  in 
Jardin  Flenriste,  142 

Gourd,  laige  variety  used  in  Paris,  519 

Grafting  by  approach  to  cover  bajre 
stems,  384 

Grafting  wax,  565 

Grape  culture  on  walls  quite  practica* 
ble  in  England,  412 

Grapes,  forcing  of,  at  Thomery,  421 
, ,        preservation  of,  without  letting 
them  hang  on  the  vines,  405 

Grapes,  successful  keeping  of,  in  dwell- 
ing house,  410 

Grin,  H.,  his  system,  869 

Ground,  market  garden,  price  of,  near 
Paris,  462 

Gynerium  argenteum,  223 


HALLES  Centrales,  542 
Hardy  herbaceous  plants,  ko,,  for 

subtropical  gardens,  list  of,  237 
Hardy  subtropical  plants  that  may  be 

raised  from  seed,  388 
Hardy  plants  for  the  subtropical  gar- 
den, 210 
Hardy  plants  noticed  in  the  Jardin  des 

Plantes,  73 
Haricots,  kinds  used  in  Paris,  519 
Hawthorn  family,  the,  173 
Helianthus  orgyalis,  225 
Heracleums,  the,  225 
Hibiscus  roseus,  225 
Horse  chestnut,  the,  167 
Hose  on  wheels,  cost  of,  41 
„     on  wheels  for  watering  roads,  40 
, ,     watering  with,  in  market  gardens, 

465 
Hose,  watering  with  perforated,  39 
H6tel  Cluny,  garden  of,  102 

„     de  Ville,  plant  decorations  at, 

266 


rrCISIONS   made    to   regulate  the 
growth  of  fruit  trees,  881 
Indigofera  Dosua,  64 

,,        floribunda,  65 
Isolated  plants,  52 

Ivy  and  its  uses  in  Parisian  gardens, 
805 


I 


640 


INDEX. 


♦    J 


Iry  edgings,  807 

„      ,>         in  the  Smperor^s  garden 
at  the  Toileries,  18 
Ijjy  propagation  of,  for  making  edgings 
in  the  public  gardens,  158 


JARDIN   des    Flenrs  at  Yersulles, 
250 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  68 

„  ,,  oolleetion  of  pear 

trees  in,  70 
Jardin  des  Flantes,  merits  of,  69 

,,  „  fiiults  of,  11 

,,  „  smallness  of  grant 

to,  76 
Jardin  Flenriste,  and  the  other  public 

norseries  of  Paris,  139 
Jardin  Flenriste,  colleetions  of  plants 

in,  158 
Jardin  Flenriste,  trial  ground  io,  158 
Juncus  glaucus,  used  for  tying  plants 

and  firuit  treei,  580 


LAND,  deamess  of,  in  London,   no 
real  objection  to  eztensiye  improve- 
ments, 115 

La  Fosse  Commune,  110 

Leetures  given  in  the  Luxembourg 
garden,  80 

Lepdre,  M.,  his  garden  at  Montreuil, 
445 

Lettuces,  best  kinds  of,  in  the  Paris 
market,  517 

Lettuce,  Gotte,  culture  of,  497 

Petite  Noire,  culture  of,  493 
the  Passion,       „       ,,    498 
„        Yerte  Maraleh^re,  culture  of^ 
496 

Library  in  the  Jardin  Fleuriste,  155 

Lilac,  white,  forcing  of,  537 

Lime  tree,  the  worst  of  all  trees  for 
cities,  169 

Limnocharis  Humboldtii,  78 

Locust  tree,  the,  167 

London  graveyards  needlessly  muti- 
lated in  converting  them  into  gar- 
dens, 106 

London  squares,  82 

Longchamps,  watering  racecourse  of, 
89 

Louvre,  gardens  of,  11 

Luxembourg  garden,  76 

„  ,,         fountain  in,  79 

,,  ,,        system    of  floral 

decoration  in,  77 

Lygeum  Spartum,  used  for  tying,  580 

Lyons,  600 
„      public  garden  at,  600 


iriCHB, 
JU.  Maehi 


498 


Maehines  for  transplanting  ti 

in  Paris,  their  advantages,  558 
Kaeleaya  oordata,  227 
Mange-tout,    an    ezoeQent    vegeti 

WOTthy  of  general  culture,  520 
Manure  employed  in  the  market  | 

dens  of  Paris,  468 
Maples,  the,  179 
Market^  fruit,  flower,  and  regetabl 

good  one  required  for  London,  54 
Market  gardeners  of  Paris,  their  < 

dition,  469 
Market  gardens  of  Paris,  462 
Markets,  flower,  fruit,  and  vegetal 

589 
Markets,  flower,  of  Paris,  543 
Markets  of  Paris  well  arranged  for 

convenience  of  the  retail  buyer,  2 

541 
Mastic,  THomme  Lefbrt,  565 
Medicinal  and  economical  plants  in 

Jardin  des  Plantes  better  arraii 

than  in  British  botanic  gardens,  ' 
Melianihus  major,  227 
Melons  of  the  Paris  market,  518 
M6r7-sur-Oise,  mushroom  culture 

477 
Meudon,  260 
Mixed  beds  in  Pare  Monoean,  exam] 

of,  50 
Molopospermum  eicutarium,  228 
Monstera  delieiosa,  197 
Montrouge,  mushroom  culture  at,  4 
Musa  Cavendishi,  55 

„     Ensete,  55,  197 
Mushroom  cave,  descent  into  a  Paris 

472 
Mushroom  cave,  plan  of,  497 
,,        culture,  472 
„         culture,  depth  at  which  i 

carried  on,  484 
Mushroom  culture  in  cellars,  485 

„  ,,        the  open  air, ' 

Mushroom  spawn,   preparation  of 

M^,  482 
Mushrooms,    places   where    they 

grown  near  Paris,  484 


XTALLET,  M.,  683 
li   Nantes,  public  garden  at,  613 
Napoleon  peach  tree,  the,  449 
Nature's  plan  of  arranging  flowers, ! 
Navet,  kinds  grown  in  Uie  Paris  marl 

519 
Necessity  of  public  nurseries  for  Lon 

and  our  other  great  cities,  189 
Nelumbium  spedosum,  73 
New  Zealand  Flax  uaed  for  tying^  5 


INDEY. 


641 


Niootiaoa  maerophylla,  228 
,,        wigandioidea,  199 
Nain6roteiir,  the,  572 
Nnrsery  for  herbaceons  plants  mod  in 

the  public  gardens,  157 
Nnrsery    for    boulevard    and    avenue 

trees,  155 
Nursery  for  shrubs  for  the  public  parks 

and  gardens,  157 
Nursery,  public,  for  conifers  and  rhodo- 

dendrtms,  158 


OkKS,  the,  179 
Oidinm  on  the  Tine,  mode  of  de* 
stroying,  417 

Oleanders  in  the  gardens  of  the  Luxem- 
bourg, 80 

Oleander,  the,  culture  of,  528 

Orange,  the,  culture  o(,  531 

Orange  tree,   between    400  and    500 
years  old,  244 

Orange  trees,  carriage  for  transporting, 
561 

Orange  trees  in  tubs,  a  costly  and  use- 
less fancy,  15 

Orange  trees  in  tubs,  what  to  do  with 
them,  15 

Orange  trees,  &c.,  tubs  for,  563 

Orchard  culture  improved,  the  remedy 
for  our  badly  sappUed  markets,  327 

Orobanches  in  Jardin  des  Flantes,  75 

Our  cities,  their  condition  disgraceful, 
114 

Our  conservatories,   how    to  improve 
their  aspect,  290 


PAILLASSON,    frame    for    makbg, 
570 
Palais  des  Thermes,  gaixien  of,  102 
Palais  Royal,  garden  of,  100 
Pall  Alall  Gazette,  the,  on  the  grass  in 

the  London  parks,  37 
Pulmette   Verrier,  the,  how  to   train, 

373 
Palms,  296 

for  room  deccration,  273 
in  the  Pare  Monceau,  55 
list  of  kinds  for  stoves,  304 
list  of  kinds  that  may  be  grown 
in  cool  houses,  304 
Paiiicum  bulbosum,  229 
J'anier,  the,  34,  567 
Paradise  stock,  355 

description  of,  357 
M.  Carrifere  on,  356 
Professor  Koch,  on,  356 
propagation  of,  345 
„       raising  the  apple  on,  34  5 


♦» 


»} 


*f 


ft 


»» 


n 


»> 


If 


Pare  des  Bnttes  Chanmont,  59 

»»        ,9  „        alpine  plants 

in,  62 
ParcMonoean,  48 

,,        „        description  of  the  plant- 
ing in,  54 
Pare  Monceau,  system  of  planting  In^  48 
Pare  Monceau,  variety  in,  49 
Paris  and  London,  climates   of^  com- 
pared, 550 
Parisian  squares,  idea  of  them  first  taken 

from  those  in  London,  85 
Parisian  squares,  regulations  in,  104 
Parks    only  a  partial  good    if  large 

cities  be  not  well  opened  up  by  airy 

roads  and  small  squares,  112 
Paulownia  imperialis,  as  a   city   and 

boulevard  tree,  170 
Paving  of  the  boulevards,  130 
Peach  gardens  of  Montreuil,  440 
the,  325 
„      as  a  cordon,  366 

,,      „  „        M.  liCp^re  on, 

368 
Peach,    the,   may    be    cultivated    in 

England  and  Ireland  as  successfnilj 

as  near  Paris,  460 
Peach  tree,  disease  of,  from  exposure  to 

cold,  in  spring,  442 
Peach  tree  in  the  U  form,  451 

„  „  how  to  tnun, 

458 
Peach  tree,  the  French  mode  of  manag* 

ing  distinct  from  ours,  440 
Peach  tree,  young,  protected  by  wooden 

coping,  443 
Pear,  Chinese,  173 

,,    doing  badly  on  quince  stock  in- 
duced to  emit  its  own  roots,  622 
Pear,  the,  as  a  cordon,  359 

„       how  to  improve  its  culture, 

312 
Pear,  the,  regraftiog  of  worthless  sorts 

with  good  varieties,  390 
Pear  tree,  pyramidal  training  of,  878 
,,        proper  mode  of  pinching  the 

shoots  of;  894 
Pears,  bad  kinds  regrafted  with  good 

ones,  823 
Pears,    bad    varieties    of,    should   be 

destroyed,  323 
Pears,  best  kinds  of,  for  the  cordon 

system,  361 
Pears,  good  varieties,  selection  of,  321 

„      quantities  imported  from  France, 

313 
Pears,  varieties  that  should  be  grown 

against  walls,  822 
Pears,  vast  numbers  of;  propagated  at 

Angers,  610 

T  T 


iiii 


Peu«,  wiltcT.  how  lo  unprare  our 

tsno^Sl? 
Fduguninm  BndllehemunDi,  TO 
Pwdnloai  tiwning.  MS,  39! 
PnnuDEnt  artiaUc  plastitig  tha  Dobleat 

hiadofgu^ltniiiK.  23 
FhoTTDiilm  Unu,  ISS,  SOO 
Pbjtolica  deoLiidni,  229 
FincbiDg  tbe  samm«T  ihooti  of  fruit 

treu,  proper  uid  iinpn>p«r  modea  at. 


■  fnr  eoTering, 


994 
nu  ud  fmncB,   I 


Plica  d«  1»  Concorde,  2 

„    da  CamaKl,  9 

„    Napoleon  III.,  gaidiEU  in,  B 

„    Royele,  B9 
Plan  of  frnit  gudea  Cot  the  nortti  of 

Pnnoe,  484 
Flue  tree,  the  beet  for  atiea,  16S 
Flue  tree*,  noble,  ia  Berkelej-eqiure, 

leo 

PUnerm  ■cnminftta,  86 

FUntinir  in  pnblic  gardene,  laggestioai 

for,  25 
Ptuila,  1«d  effect  of  uaiqg  thoie  thkt  are 

too  leader,  49 
Plvts  iaoUted  on  the  gntsa,  52 

„      aaed   aa    food,    good   amcige- 

tneot  of,  in  the  Judiu  des  Planlea, 

r2 

Plv;gb  hoe,  the,  £68 
Polygonum  CDSpidatnm,  54,  229 
Poljmnia  gnndis,  19S 

pynira'dalii.  199 
Poor,  tbe,  baalneu  like  waj  of  borying 

them  in  Pvisinn  eemetenee,  109 
Poplar,  the  Lomberdy,  172 
Popular  idea  of  the  difiicaltj  of  groiring 

159 

FolBloe^  early,  mode  of  niiiug,  527 

Pr6  CaUlsn,  the,  31 

FropB^iliDg  houee  in  the  Jardln  Flea- 

riete,  145 
Propa^tinn    of    phuite  in  the   Janlin 

Fleuriite,  146 
Pnblie  bnthinj;,  increiued  facilitiea  for, 

Pgblio  Ijslhinp,  anggeationa  towanli 
improied  me«n>  of,  137 

Public  DuraericB,  odTantKgee  of,  la  • 
city,  13B 

Fnblio  nuraeriei  for  t^ee^  ehnibe,  and 
hardy  fluwen,  I6S 

Public  nuneries  of  Paris,  a  gteat  help 
to  ita  gardening.  139 

Punch  and  Judy  ihown,  8 

Pnrg  air  and  ligbt  natnimllj  the  pro- 
perty of  all,  117 


EAU>I83E0E,  the,  S76 
,,  ajmpleat   and    b«i 

form  of,  6TS 
Bailaay  embaokment^  fnit   growin 

oo,  832 
Kefurm  in  the  eoaaertatory,  230 
Bataoiut  in  the  B«i  de  Vincenues,  3 
Baataaiaata,  &c,  in   paUio    gardeni 

adTantigea  of,  4 
Bheum  Emodi,  231 
Bhubarb  not   grawn  by  the   Prend 

609 
Sbua  gUbia  ladniata,  231 
Bicinua  oanmnnis,  201 
Uoadi,  keeping  moiat,  vith  deliqoMcei 

*alu,45 
Hoad-makinr,  wilhcemeleirheaditoni 

fire  and  ail  years  old,  110 
Robiaiai  in  North  Italy,  168 
Kockwork    in    the   Faro    de«   Botli 

Chaumont,  62 
Boom  deooniiou  in  Paris,  2T2 

,,      for  locomotion  a  great  not  1 

our  cities,  115 
Koee  order,  flowering  treea  of,  173 
RoKo.  ahowing  of  in  France,  635 
KoULion  of  crops  in  Parisiati   marki 

gardens,  46S 
Bouen,  614 

,,  pnblic  garden  at,  618 
Suah.  common  Hard,  ils  use  ia  tyinj 


SALADS,  cnltore  of.  489 
Sanlaaie,  Ecule  Kigionale  de  la,  60 
Scarotle,  SOU 
ficeaoi.  628 
School  of  botany  in  Jardin  des  Plnnte: 

73 
Snrew  used  in  tnuuplanting.  560 
Seafortbia  elegan*,  203 
Seat  with  teat-like  sbade,  564 
Seals,  pardeu.  563,  564 
S^teur,  the,  574 
Shouts  of  fruit  trees,  proper  nod  ia 

proper  modes  of  cutting,  394 
Short  pinching  system  applied  to  tb 

peach.  369 
Solannms,  the,  203 
Sophora  japonics,  176 
„      pendula,  173 
Space   well    Qtjtiied  in  the  boosea  ii 

the  Jardin  Fleniitle,  147 
3pargsninm   ramosam  and  for   tyin, 

grafts  and  buds,  SSI 
Spring  Tana  for  coDTeyiog  plant*    t< 

the  HAtel  de  Ville,  154 
Springrsni  for  conTcyiag  bedding  plant 
from  the  Jardin  Flenritte,  154 


INDEX. 


G43 


Square  de  BelleriUe,  100 

„       la  Chapelle  Bxpiatoire   de 

Louis  XVI.,  100 
Square  de  Montrouge,  05 

„      des  Arts  et  M6tierB,  08 

„      des  Batignolles,  01 

}t  „  list  of  trees, 

shrubs,  and  flowers  in,  04 
Square  des  lonoceots,  100 

,,      du  Temple,  06 

„      LouTois,  101 

,t      Mootholon,  101 

„      St  Clothilde,  105 

„      St.  Jacques,  82 

„      de  Vintimille,  103 
Squares  opeued  on  the  Flurisian  plan 

onl J  want  to  be  tried  to  be  genentllj 

adopted  in  London,  00 
Squares,  places,  church  gardens,  fcc, 

82 
Stalactite  caTe  in  the  Pare  des  Buttes 

Chaumont,  50 
Stationers'  Hall  Court,  plane  tree  in, 

160 
St.  Cloud,  gardens  at,  250 
Stocks  for  the  apple,  355 
Straw  mats,  frame  for  making,  570 
Street  gardens  in  English  cities,  164 
Students  in  the  Jardin  Pleuriste,  1 55 
Subterranean  quarries  devoted  to  mush- 
room culture,  477 
Subtropical  plants,  a  list  of  100  of  the 

best  kinds,  208 
Subtropical  plants,  a  list  of  24  of  the 

best  kinds,  208 
Subtropical  plants  that  may  be  raised 

from  seed,  209 
Subtropical  plants  for  the  flower  garden, 

182 
Subtropical  system,  how  far  it  is  worthy 

of  adoption  in  England,  183 
Subtropical  system,  what  it  has  taught 

us,  182 
Suburbs  of  London,  bad  arrangement  of, 

113 
Suggestions  towards  making  an  orna- 
mental promenade  of  a  glass  covered 

way  on  the  same  plan  as  that  between 

the  houses  in  the  Jardin  Pleuriste, 

144 
Suisnes,  628 
Sweet  potato,  the,  525 


1  TEMPORARY  coping,  a  good   one, 
.     583 
Thalia  deulbata,  32 
Tour,  horticultural,  through  parts    of 

Prance  in  1868,  600 
Tour  St.  Jacques,  the,  82 


Training,  373 

„       of  pyramidal  pear  tree,  378 
Transplanting,  excellent  mode  of,  550 

,,  large  trees,  551 

Tree  beauty,  a  Preneh  ideal  of,  250 
Trees  and  shrubs  for  cities,  a  selection 

of  the  best,  165 
Trees,  fine  sorts  worthy  of  being  more 

generally  planted,  178 
Trees  for  city  parks,  ayenues,  gardens, 

streets,  etc.,  159 
Trees,  lu^,  results  of  experiments  in 

transplanting,  558 
Trees  may  be  grown  better  in  London 

than  in  Paris,  159 
Trees  of  weeping  habit,  172 

.,    on  the  £>uIeTard8,  planting  of, 

127 
Trees  planted  in  summer,  60,  80 
Treille  du  Boi  at  Fontainebleau,  252 
TrianoDS,  Grand  and  Petit,  249 
Triiomas,  the,  232 
Troyes,  619 

Truck  for  tubs  or  large  pots,  562 
Tuileries,  gardens  of,  12 
Tulip  tree,  the,  176 
Tying  plants,  material  for,  570 


TTHDEA  bipinnatifida,  205 

VARIETY,  great  adranUge  of,  in 
city  gardens,  28 
Variety,  want  of,  in  gardens,  23 
Vegetable  culture  near   Paris,  list   of 

places  where  it  may  be  seen,  547 
Vegetables,  insufficiency  of,  in  London, 

540 
Vegetables  in  Paris  market,  tender  and 

gou<l,  no  matter  how  hot  the  weather, 

466 
Vegetables  of    the  Paris  market,  ob- 
servations on  some  of  the,  515 
Verbascum  vemale,  233 
Verbesina  gigantea,  206 
Versailles,  239 

„         gardens    at,    in    wretched 

taste,  241 
Versailles,  orangery  at,  244 

„         luipcrial  fruit  and  forcing 

gardens  at,  424 
Ver  blanc,  the,  255 
Vilmorin,   Andrieux,   MM.,   and  Co., 

516 
Vine  culture  at  Thoaiery,  412 
Vine,  mode  of  grafting,   practised  at 

Thomery,  421 
Vines,    fine  collection    of,    in  Jardin 

d'Acclimatatlon,  32 


»■  .1 


w 


470 


n  inaiktt  girdani  of  Fuii, 


Wklki  JD  Freoeli  gudsnt  frcqnmtlf  too 

mneb  dijplajed,  M 
Wilkii,  wideDing  of,  to  permit  of  cliil- 

dm  nsiDg  them  u  plajgnmiid*,  91 
Wkll    aarfue.    mora,    vutad  in  onr 

guil«iu,  S17 
WalU,  concrete,  317 

, ,      far  fniit  growing  nude  of  Mrtb, 

60S,  007 
Wklig,  fmit,  protMtios  for,  583 

„      fur  fmit  treei  ihoold  be  white, 

SIB 
Walli  for  fruit  tree*,  atgltct  of,  <61 
Water,  kdvuttagce  of  >n  ebondant  np- 

plj  of.  in  ganleni.  4S6 
Vatering,  coat  of,  43 


Wftteriog  in  Fuinu  unrket  gnrdeni, 
Wnteriojc  Uia    perhi,  girdmi,   lowb^ 


347 

Wellingtoniu  in  Boii  it  Tineennea,  3T 
Wigudia  nacropbTlU,  806 
Wire,  nttnching  it  to  gudan  vnlla,  587 

„    galvaniied,  ile  eiieannd  laice,  6S1 
Woodvsrdiu  io  tb«  Lniemboarg  gar- 


Workmi 


1,81 


a  maikot  gardeni  of  Parii, 


\\